Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Rauner campaign: “Pritzker paying back the money he conned out of Illinois taxpayers is nothing less than an admission of guilt that he committed fraud”

Posted in:

Illinois

Democratic candidate for Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker has repaid the $330,000 he received in property tax breaks after removing five toilets from one of his Gold Coast mansions, according to a spokeswoman Wednesday.

Las week, Cook County’s inspector general said in a report that Pritzker had engaged in a “scheme to defraud” in order to receive more than $330,000 in property tax breaks on his mansion in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.

According to the spokeswoman, the check was mailed to the Cook County Treasurer’s office last week.

* Rauner campaign…

Yesterday, JB Pritzker cut a $330,000 check to try and make his “scheme to defraud” Illinois taxpayers go away. Illinoisans aren’t fooled by Pritzker’s attempt to buy his way out of his potentially criminal activity.

Rauner campaign Communications Director Will Allison released the following statement in response:

“A bank robber who gives the money back is still a bank robber. Pritzker paying back the money he conned out of Illinois taxpayers is nothing less than an admission of guilt that he committed fraud.” -Will Allison, Rauner Campaign Communications Director

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:19 am

Comments

Make hay while the sun shines.

Comment by Slugger O'Toole Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:24 am
Thanks, Bruce, for breaking the news that Pritzker finally paid it back.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:27 am
–Rauner campaign Communications Director Will Allison released the following statement in response:–

Drum roll, please. This sounds like it will be self-important.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:27 am
This was a no win situation. If he gives the money back they say he is guilty or he wouldn’t have paid the money. If he had not paid the money, they would have called him a thief, and a con man. This should have been taken care of months ago.

Comment by Retired Educator Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:28 am
“1.4% engaged in a “scheme to defraud” in order to receive property tax breaks on his multiple homestead exemptions.”

Fixed it for ya.

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:29 am
When you utterly and continually fail… because doing your own oppo and not having any foresight to correct your oppo before it blows up… this is what happens.

It is a pattern, really.

Not having an idea of how many Blago tapes exists… the overseas monies… the union issues with the boat tour business… the property tax and toilets…

It’s a head scratcher… when a campaign spends $207+K… a day… every day… Sunday thru Saturday… and not ONE person could make the political case to “pay the $2”… what exactly goes on in a campaign that ignores countless own oppo issues AND spends the amount of a small house every single day.

This is all self-inflicted, it was left to fester, it was made worse with ridiculous defending, and then topped off… after months and months… with a label of “Scheme to Defraud”

This is something… someone… somewhere… really missed or stratigcally miscalculated to malpractice levels.

Then again… Pritzker is up 16-22 points… they’ve ran an exceptional and damaging “Rauner failed” campaign and have put Pritzker in a position where it’s theirs to lose, against the most vulnerable and worst Republican governor in America. To their credit, they maximized the advantages they had, and pounced where openings exists.

The thing is… and it’s shown to be true here…

Both things can be true.

However… When it comes to handling own oppo, and managing it… not great.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:36 am
I don’t know if Rauner is stupid or if he just thinks we are, but it simply makes no sense to say that paying it back means he had an intent to defraud.

Comment by Perrid Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:37 am
I always seem to be wrong on the politics, but I have been thinking he needed to fight this now, since he did not make it go away 12 months ago. Rauner will beat him up either way, but if the general public hears him defending this as simply a fight among lawyers over proper evidence, the undecideds might not hold it against him. Paying now makes him look guilty. Perhaps even sue for defamation.

Comment by Jibba Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:38 am
most candidates have minor issues from which you can hold your nose; both of these candidates have major issues from which a nose-clip won’t help

Comment by is there an obligation to vote at all? (asking for a friend) Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:44 am
When Rauner defrauded cook county with homestead exemptions for his child’s education, it was an oversight

Comment by Rabid Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 9:52 am
Here, Mr. Allison, I’ll fix it for you:
“A bank robber who gives the money back is still a bank robber. Rauner paying back the money he conned out of Illinois taxpayers with his multiple homestead exemptions is nothing less than an admission of guilt that he committed fraud.”

Comment by G'Kar Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 10:00 am
Did he pay back the interest too? Surely a billionaire knows something about the time value of money.

Comment by ChrisB Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 10:13 am
What does it say about the Governor when Pritzger still has the lead he has even with this issue hanging over his head?

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 10:15 am
Small change for JB.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 10:29 am
At this point, who really cares about anything Rauner has to say?

He’s been lyin so much, I don’t believe anything he says except “he’s not in charge”.

Comment by Just Sayin Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 10:33 am
When Rauner paid back the county for claiming homestead exemptions on three residences, was that an admission of attempt to defraud, too? The amount was less, but the principle was the same.

Comment by anon2 Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 10:34 am
As others have stated, Bruce might have gotten some traction on “scheme to defraud” (i.e. the phrase that has yet to pay) if he hadn’t gotten cute with toilets and crowns early on.

Comment by Jocko Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 11:18 am
its very clear now why we went 2.5 years without a budget

Comment by labour Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 11:20 am
I’m happy JB paid the money back to the state. He could have went to court and fought the payback, but he didn’t.

I’m sure Rauner did not pay his fair share of property taxes either.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Oct 11, 18 @ 4:54 pm