Bill Clinton says he brought JB Pritzker on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s plane: “I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife.” pic.twitter.com/p6GtSbpgGX
Q: With Jeffrey Epstein, you apparently took 26 flights connected to Jeffrey. Was he on every flight you were on? Was he on every flight?
Clinton: That’s a good question… There’ll be a record of it. But I think he was, or certainly almost…
Q: You think he was. That’s okay. Was Ghislaine Maxwell on every flight you’re on, as far as you remember?
Clinton: The same answer. I think she was but there’ll be a record of it.
Q: Okay, when you took these flights, you’re saying a lot of them were on behalf of your foundation, your charity organization, correct? Who did you normally bring on these flights? Employees of the foundation?…
Clinton: I brought people who work with me, especially people who would have to follow up on the fundraising, or people who were involved in my AIDS work…
Q: It’s like , I never go anywhere alone…
Clinton: …And I had the Secret Service with me. And then on occasion, I had people who had volunteered to help us and wanted to see what we’re doing. For example, I think it was on one of these trips, I think that I had my first trip for the man who’s now the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker and his wife, they gave me, they helped me get started.
* The former president’s deputy chief of staff…
President Clinton was simply giving an example of the many people he traveled with to see the Clinton Foundation’s work. Governor Pritzker joined a Clinton Foundation trip in 2008.
“Governor Pritzker was asked to travel with President Clinton on two trips, once in 2008 and once in 2013. Neither utilized Jefferey Epstein’s aircraft, nor was he accompanied by that man or Ghislaine Maxwell. We understand that the GOP is desperate to deflect from the heinous accusations against President Trump in the Epstein Files, but this is a particularly weak effort to assign blame where there is none.”
* From Wikipedia: “Epstein’s interactions with Clinton can be traced to the early 1990s and concluded in 2003.” So, if the governor’s people are right, then this flight happened five years after Clinton cut ties with Epstein.
…Adding… Should be a heckuva press conference tomorrow…
Daily Public Schedule: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
What: Governor Pritzker will highlight a landmark accomplishment in medical debt forgiveness for Cook County residents.
When: 10:00 AM CT
Where: Cook County Health, Fifth Floor - Room PB5301 – 1950 W Polk St, Chicago, IL
Watch: www.illinois.gov/livevideo
Note: There will be a media availability to follow.
Illinois electric vehicle owners could be reckoning with a new $320 fee or a tax on miles traveled if legislation filed in the state Senate gains traction. […]
Senate Bill 3566 comes as revenues from gas taxes used to fix roads are dwindling with more fuel-efficient cars and electrics. If it passes, EV owners would have two options:
• Pay a $320 annual surcharge on top of existing fees starting July 1, 2027. That registration surcharge will go up annually by the Consumer Price Index starting July 1, 2028.
• Or, join a new road usage charge program that involves reporting mileage driven and paying 1.5 cents a mile effective July 1, 2027. The fee would be capped at $320 a year and annually adjusted by the CPI.
For someone who drives the U.S. average of 13,476 miles a year, the total would be about $202, according to 2022 federal data.
Sen. Villivalam’s bill has been sitting in assignments for almost a month and has no co-sponsors.
* Director of water policy at Prairie Rivers Network Robert Hirschfeld in the Sun-Times…
Illinois is dangerously dry. Decades of policy negligence have left the state unprepared, and the crisis is only beginning.
Last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed parts of 19 Central Illinois counties are suffering from “extreme drought.” That means we’re looking at “major crop/pasture losses, extreme fire danger, widespread water shortages or restrictions,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All of Champaign County, where I live, is in an extreme drought. […]
Historically, Illinois has been water-rich. If anything, our problem has been too much water, evidenced by flooded fields, roads and basements. That abundance bred complacency. The state never updated its water use laws, which remain rooted in English common law from centuries ago. The “reasonable use” rules we still rely on today were literally made for another place and another time, and are not equipped to address the water consumption of a highly industrialized society. […]
The proliferation of data centers has led advocates to draft and introduce the Protecting Our Water, Energy and Ratepayers, or POWER, Act, which would require data centers to disclose their water use and its impact on other users, while also ensuring they pay the true cost of their energy consumption rather than shifting it onto communities. The bill is necessary and urgent. But data centers are just one class of high-capacity users. Even if it passes, every other large withdrawer remains ungoverned. […]
This drought should be ringing alarm bells in Springfield. The emergency is here. And even if rain comes this spring and the drought temporarily eases, the future of water in Illinois looks very different than the past. We’ve had decades of policy negligence. We have to start managing this most essential of resources, and we have to start now.
Youth advocates against substance abuse swarmed the Capitol this week, navigating their way into lawmakers’ offices, sharing their experiences in school and addressing what they viewed as gaps in Illinois’ drug and alcohol regulations.
Brought together by the Illinois Prevention Network – a coalition of organizations working to create safe, healthy and drug-free communities in Illinois – high schoolers canvassed the Capitol on Wednesday in support of bills aimed at reducing and regulating substance use throughout Illinois. […]
Kratom is a plant that’s used as a stimulant and opioid substitute. Currently, it is only regulated by the 2014 Kratom Control Act, which makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase the substance. Five bills currently in House committees seek to amend or replace the act. […]
House Bill 1303 and House Bill 3127 seek to raise the age restriction to 21 and prohibit child-attractive products while imposing a 5% retail tax. House Bill 3215 would create a registration and labeling system for kratom products.
House Bill 3129 would add kratom’s active compounds as Schedule III controlled substances and repeal the existing Kratom Control Act. It would essentially ban the substance in Illinois with the exception of some medical uses. Another bill, House Bill 4930, would take the hardest line, prohibiting the distribution, manufacture and sale of kratom entirely unless they have been approved by the FDA. All five were referred to the House Rules Committee in March, 2025, meaning they all have a long way to go legislatively.
Senate Bill 1570, which is also awaiting a committee assignment, would effectively ban kratom for all individuals, regardless of age. […]
The group also pushed for House Bill 4333, which aims to lower the legal blood-alcohol content limit from 0.08 to 0.05 for DUIs. The bill is awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.
* Press release…
Patients, health care providers, community leaders, and lawmakers from across Illinois gathered today for a powerful 340B ACTION Day at Chicago State University, 9501 South King Drive in Chicago, uniting to celebrate the life-saving impact of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program and to urge lawmakers to protect and strengthen this vital patient lifeline.
Hosted by health care and community leaders from the south side of Chicago, the event highlighted how 340B helps community health centers and safety-net hospitals provide affordable medications and essential services to people who otherwise would go without care. From cancer treatment and chronic disease management to behavioral health, maternal care, and “meds-to-beds” programs that ensure patients leave the hospital with prescriptions in hand, 340B is a cornerstone of Illinois’ health care safety net. […]
“340B affords me the ability to get life sustaining medications, to have a better quality of life and a healthy life overall,” said Perla Herrera, a patient speaker.
Dr. James Brooks, CEO at Lawndale Christian Health Center said that community health centers and safety-net hospitals “all stand together and want to protect 340B.” He then went on to ask House leadership to “call the bill.”
Illinois providers warn that recent actions by pharmaceutical manufacturers are undermining the program by restricting how and where discounted medications can be dispensed. These unilateral limits have already reduced savings for many hospitals and clinics, forcing difficult choices and threatening access for patients in rural, urban, and suburban communities alike.
Advocates praised the Illinois Senate for taking a critical step last spring by advancing SB 2371, legislation designed to protect patient access to 340B medications by preventing manufacturers from interfering with hospitals’ and clinics’ pharmacy partnerships. The bill restores the long-standing structure of the program and ensures that patients can fill prescriptions in their own communities.
* Sen. Darby Hills…
The Senate Child Welfare Committee will hear Senate Bill 2895, filed by Illinois Senator Darby Hills (R-Barrington Hills). The bill creates the Healing Through History Act, which requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide prospective adoptive families with a complete, unredacted copy of a child’s full case record at least 30 days before adoption finalization.
WHO:
Illinois State Senator Darby Hills, Representing the 26th Senate District and Minority Spokesperson for the Child Welfare Committee.
Melissa Khamkhounnavong, Foster Care Advocate and Parent, whose family’s experience inspired the Healing Through History Act.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Illinois State Capitol, Room 409
Sen. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Grayslake), a sponsor of the bill, serves as vice chair of the Senate Child Welfare Committee.
…Adding… Press release…
State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid, State Senator Graciela Guzman, State Representative Anne Stava, fellow lawmakers and sexual abuse survivor advocates today announced legislation to establish the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Commission (HB5723), an independent, bipartisan investigatory body charged with examining crimes connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s network that occurred in Illinois, targeted Illinois victims, or involved individuals subject to Illinois law.
The Commission would have subpoena authority enforceable in court and the power to refer evidence of criminal violations — including trafficking, racketeering activity, public corruption, and obstruction of justice — to the Illinois Attorney General. The legislation grants the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction and the authority to seek a Statewide Grand Jury — even if local prosecutors decline to participate — ensuring accountability is not blocked at the local level.
“Illinois cannot afford to sit around while the Trump administration obstructs justice,” said Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid. “The Epstein class didn’t just commit crimes — they corrupted the institutions that were supposed to hold them accountable: the courts, the banks, law enforcement, even our universities. For too many powerful people, tolerating violent sex crimes was simply the price of admission to financial networks and sweetheart deals. The Epstein Class have their tentacles in Illinois, and the people of our state have a right to know how far the rot spreads.”
“This isn’t about politics or about any one name,” said Sen. Graciela Guzman. “This is about accountability and due process. We are not going to wait for a Justice Department that is covering up the relationship between Epstein and Trump. Illinois has jurisdiction, Illinois has the will, and as of today, Illinois has a bill to do just that.”
“Imagine what the Epstein survivors have been through,” said Lauren Lehman Carter, an advocate for Epstein survivors and sexual abuse survivors, and a survivor herself. “People have been screaming about wanting justice for children who have been trafficked, but once it turns out that the person who was doing the trafficking and the raping, is not a convenient person to go after, all of sudden they are defending that abuser. They are inflicting greater trauma, not only on the Epstein victims, but on other sexual abuse survivors. We’re not going to shut up. We’re going to hold you accountable.”
“When the federal government stands silent, the states must lead the way; and that’s exactly what Illinois is doing,” said Jane Ruby of the League of Women Voters of Chicago. “These survivors have paid an enormous price to come forward, only to watch those who harmed them walk free. We need more states to follow Illinois’s example: investigate every crime tied to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, rebuild trust in our institutions, and stand up for the rule of law.”
“The rule of law means nothing if it only applies to people without money or connections,” said Rep. Nabeela Syed. “This commission is a test of whether Illinois believes that. This is how a democracy investigates itself: transparently, fairly, and without giving the powerful a veto over the process.”
Key provisions of the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act (HB5723) include:
• Establishes an independent, bipartisan Commission with investigatory authority over crimes committed in Illinois, against Illinois residents, or by public officials or entities subject to Illinois law, including public corruption and potential cover-ups.
• Grants the Attorney General concurrent authority to investigate and prosecute violations of Illinois law arising from matters uncovered by the Commission, and authorizes the Attorney General, upon certification and judicial approval, to seek a Statewide Grand Jury when a statewide nexus exists or when good cause is shown, even if local prosecutors decline to participate.
• Expands eligibility for Statewide Grand Jury proceedings to include trafficking, sexual exploitation, racketeering activity, bribery, official misconduct, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and related offenses.
• Requires regular public hearings and transparent reporting, with appropriate safeguards to protect ongoing investigations and confidential information.
• Ensures survivor participation is voluntary, confidential where requested, and supported through trauma-informed services and whistleblower protections.
* More…
* WAND | IL bill could require 988 info in public buildings, suicide prevention curriculum in health courses: A plan moving in the Capitol could improve access to mental health resources and suicide prevention efforts in Illinois. Sponsors and advocates told reporters in Springfield that the state must do everything possible to save more lives. […] “Suicide prevention requires awareness, education and access to resources, all the things that this bill addresses,” said Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea). Belt said 988 information should be visible in county shelter care homes, daycares, public libraries, colleges, hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. His plan also requires school boards to include age-appropriate suicide prevention curriculum in health courses for students in sixth through 12th grade.
* Rep. Joyce Mason | Mason Introduces Legislation to Build on Childcare Policies: House Bill 5204 establishes that members of the Illinois Early Learning Council appointed by the governor will be parents or caregivers of children who are 5 years of age or younger, ensuring the needs of young families are accurately represented when it comes to improving the lives of Illinois children. House Bill 5373 moves the licensing function to the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood and makes significant updates to create a comprehensive, equitable model for daycare licensing that is safer for families, easier for providers, and anchored in a continuum of quality. House Bill 5099 prioritizes the safety of children by updating the Department of Early Childhood Act, requiring all child care providers to be fingerprinted for criminal history by the Department of Early Childhood. Additionally, the bill allows multiple providers access to an individual’s background check, rather than having to complete a new report for each potential employment opportunity.
* WCIA | Illinois bill aims for better mental health resources for coroners, medical examiners: The law would classify coroners and medical examiners as first responders. This would allow them to utilize mental health counseling without having to pay themselves. It’s something experts in the field think is much needed. “First responders, including coroners and deputy coroners, are at an increased risk of burnout, PTSD, compassion fatigue,” said Grit and Grace owner Jessica McClellan. “We say that we want them to be cool, calm and collected, but if we’re not offering them a space to be cool, calm and collected, they won’t be.”
On the first day of Early Voting, the state’s highest vote getter, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, is endorsing Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim to succeed her as Comptroller, citing Kim’s extensive financial experience, accomplishments on the Comptroller’s Bank On Illinois Commission, and independence as a fiscal steward.
“Holly Kim is the most skilled and experienced financial professional running for Comptroller. That’s why I’m endorsing her,” Mendoza said. “Holly is a proven fiscal watchdog who has maintained a strong sense of independence throughout her career.”
“As a two-term treasurer of the third largest county in Illinois, Holly has saved taxpayers more than $6 million while boosting investments in schools and parks. Her valuable leadership on my Bank On Illinois Commission helped get 685,000 formally unbanked individuals banked. Holly Kim gets the job done,” Mendoza added.
“As comptroller for nearly a decade, I wrote the playbook on transparency and accountability. For Holly, transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.”
“The job of Comptroller requires proven skills,” Mendoza said. “This office manages billions in taxpayer dollars and the person in this role has a real impact on the state’s credit rating. We have worked hard to deliver ten credit upgrades for Illinois on my watch. Holly Kim is the candidate in this race I trust the most to build on that progress.”
“It’s imperative for voters to consider the comptroller candidate who has the best skills and the proven record of smart, independent fiscal oversight. That’s Holly Kim,” Mendoza said.
“There’s a lot of big money pouring into this race. The voters should not allow those with deep pockets to gain control of an office that manages billions in taxpayer dollars. Illinois is open for business, but it’s not for sale.”
“I’ve long looked up to Comptroller Mendoza as my work mentor,” Kim said. “Not only have I learned the ins and outs of the Comptroller’s office from her, but I’ve also been inspired by her leadership and her fierce independence on behalf of the taxpayers. Susana has accomplished tremendous things as Comptroller–she took over an office that was in shambles, rebuilt it and secured ten credit upgrades. It would be my honor to continue her great work as the chief fiscal watchdog of the state.”
But [Kim has] also had to answer to some critics of her office. In a 2023 memo from the then-Lake County administrator, he pointed to myriad issues that included lengthy delays in publishing statutorily required reports about Lake County’s investments, which jeopardize the accuracy of the county’s fiscal standing, to failing to ensure there was enough money in an account for an employee to cash a check.
Kim told county officials a few weeks later that the reports were up to date and that her office had been “researching solutions for enhancing transparency on the investments reporting” and that the insufficient funds for the check-cashing incident were “caused by an error in another department,” according to a memo she sent to the officials. Her campaign in a statement also blamed “unexpected challenges that arose” during the COVID-19 pandemic for some of the issues in the office.
She has also prided herself as one of the first Illinois politicians to accept cryptocurrency donations, a currency known for its high volatility. But last month, the Tribune reported she invested about $8,300 in crypto donations in a crypto coin she started called CHKN token — named after her flock of chickens —-only for that investment to be worth just a little over $34 by the end of 2025, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
While the comptroller’s office doesn’t handle investments, Croke’s campaign questioned Kim’s fiscal judgment over the poor crypto investment. In response, Kim chalked that up as a learning experience and noted it didn’t involve any taxpayer dollars.
* The crypto-backed PAC Fairshake has begun airing this anti-Stratton ad…
Fairshake, the crypto PAC, entered the Illinois Senate Democratic Primary with airing commercials against Juliana Stratton. The ad says “Madigan’s team recruited Juliana Stratton,” framing her as a machine pick. pic.twitter.com/TWDO59Zgpf
* Stratton held an “emergency Press conference” this afternoon to address the crypto-backed ad. From the media advisory…
Today, February 27, 2026 at 12 PM, Juliana Stratton and supporters will gather in Daley Plaza for an emergency press conference in response to the recent news that a MAGA-funded, crypto industry super PAC is spending millions of dollars against Juliana in support of Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign for Senate.
Juliana will call on Raja to reject the MAGA money and make sure everyone knows that Raja is for sale, and Illinois isn’t buying it.
From Stratton’s remarks…
We deserve better than the MAGA-backed special interest trying to put their thumb on the scale of this race, and I hope my opponent would agree with that, so I am calling on Congressman Krishnamoorthi to immediately call for the ads to be taken down and reject this MAGA support. And if he’s not willing to do that, well that tells you exactly where he stands.
…Adding… From Raja…
Juliana Stratton’s hypocrisy reached new heights today as her team convened a desperate press conference to boost her “struggling” campaign. […]
What’s more: When asked about her hypocrisy by a reporter, Stratton’s team immediately cut the livestream.
And that’s why we don’t have Q and A from the event.
…Adding… We have obtained a copy of the Q and A…
Reporter: The poll you pointed to as momentum was paid for by the Democratic Lieutenant Governor’s Association, a group that has taken money from many corporate PACS, direct money from corporations. How is that different from what Congressman Krishnamoorthi is doing? And should you tell the DLGA to stop taking corporate PAC money and direct contributions from corporations?
Stratton: Well, the DLGA, as you know, is the Democratic Lieutenant Governor’s Association. I’m a Democratic Lieutenant Governor. They have been supportive because of the work that we have done in Illinois, what I’ve done alongside Governor Pritzker to raise wages, protect reproductive freedom, create thousands of good paying jobs. But what I would say is that the DLGA has said that they are returning those funds, and I’ve said I support that, and I’m glad that they made that decision. But what is also clear is that Congressman Krishnamorthi, in a very different way, has picked up the phone and called these entities directly, called the CTO of Palentir. He’s done that for the last seven years, and he’s done it including while Palantir was in our communities, wreaking havoc and inflicting terror in our communities. So I am not accepting any corporate PAC money in this race, and I have upheld that commitment.
Reporter: A PAC that you started accepted corporate PAC money and a pack of supporting you have accepted corporate practice? Should you send a clear signal to your supporters not to continue taking that money, regardless?
Stratton: I’m not taking any corporate PAC money in this race, and I’ve upheld this commitment.
Reporter: But you’ve a lot about about-
Staff member: We’ve got other people, sorry can we let somebody else ask a question right now?
Reporter keeps going: Jennifer Pritzker [cross talk] gave a million dollars to a super PAC that is backing you. She has obviously turned against the president now, but she was a supporter of President Donald Trump and many Republican candidates over the years. Is that MAGA money? And should Illinois Future return the million dollars that is received from Jennifer Pritzker?
Stratton: I cannot coordinate, as you know, with anything else, but what I’m saying is I am not taking corporate PAC money. And what we are seeing happening in this race right now is Raja Krishnamoorthi saw the momentum of this campaign. He sees that we are now two points within reaching up after $25,000,000 and 10 years of accepting corporate PAC dollars. People are fed up with this. They want to see somebody who’s going to fight for the people. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
A different reporter: When I talk to voters they’re really concerned about high prices, high interest rates. I have not talked to any voters who is talking about the inside baseball, who’s getting what from what MAGA donors. Do you think that is going to sour? [can’t hear the rest]
Stratton: Well, let me tell you what I’m hearing from voters every single day. They want to make sure that Congress is working for the people, and many of them are feeling very frustrated and fed up, quite frankly, that too often we see people get elected and then forget who they were elected to represent so much corporate PAC money that corporate special interests get the red carpet rolled out for them, and every day, Illinoisans get left behind. Do we have some incredible leaders here today who are fighting for the people. And I’m going to join in Washington, DC to make sure that people always stay at the center of what I do.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
* New Raja digital ad…
Today, Raja for Illinois released a new digital ad, “The Interview,” exposing Juliana Stratton’s hypocrisy and the truth about her decision to accept corporate PAC money after promising voters she wouldn’t.
When confronted in a WCPT radio interview earlier this month, Stratton was asked a straightforward question about where the PAC money backing her campaign was coming from. Instead of answering, she unraveled — stumbling over her words, contradicting herself, and failing to defend her broken promise.
“Where’s the super PAC money coming from?” asked the radio host in the new spot. “It seems to me most of it is coming from corporations and wealthy individuals.”
“All of the corporate money is from public donors. Excuse me… the… uh, PAC money is from corporate donors… excuse me… all of the PAC money is from public donors,” said Stratton, struggling to keep her story straight to WCPT.
For six months, Stratton has attempted to distract from her own record by running a near-exclusively negative campaign targeting Raja, hypocritically attacking him in ads, on debate stages, in interviews, on social media, in desperate fundraising pleas, and more. Now, Illinois voters can see the truth for themselves — in her own words
I’m pretty sure I posted about that awkward exchange at the time. Click here to watch the ad.
* Rep. Kelly makes a good point about the amount of outside money being dumped into this US Senate campaign. But she won her first congressional primary in 2013 (a special election to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr.) mainly because Mike Bloomberg dumped $2.3 million via his Independence USA super PAC into the race…
Enough is enough. Illinois deserves better than outside influence trying to buy elections. If you want a real fighter and a winner, you want Robin Kelly. I am unbought and unbossed. On to the US Senate! pic.twitter.com/WY02GU6UTZ
* As we’ve already discussed, Sen. Karina Villa’s first TV ad takes a quick swipe at two of her opponents, Rep. Margaret Croke and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim.
Anyway, a subscriber was polled last night. From the looks of things, Croke or somebody backing her may be gearing up to thwack Villa. This question was about Democratic comptroller candidate Rep. Margaret Croke…
* But then the “concerns” questions switched to Sen. Villa…
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s Farm Team PAC is endorsing Karina Villa for state comptroller and Saba Haider the state House seat in the 84th District now held by state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit. […]
Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi has been endorsed by Alexander County Dem Chair Phillip Matthews and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
