Posted on 04/24/2019 7:45:25 AM PDT by PBRCat
Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, his wife and his brother-in-law are under federal criminal investigation for a dubious residential property tax appeal that dogged him during his gubernatorial campaign.
The billionaire governor and his wife may face a serious legal threat arising from their controversial pursuit of a property tax break on a 126-year-old mansion they purchased next to their Gold Coast home.
A Cook County inspector generals report found MK Pritzker directed workers to remove all toilets from the mansion in order to have it declared uninhabitable, which gave the Pritzkers a huge property tax break.
Neither the Governor nor the First Lady have been contacted by law enforcement regarding the property tax appeal, said Elias, a partner with the Perkins Coie law firm.
Disclosure of the investigation comes at a sensitive time for a governor. And the distraction of a federal criminal probe could threaten to disrupt his aggressive first-term agenda in Springfield.
The property tax scandal picked up steam a month before the November 2018 gubernatorial election, when the Chicago Sun-Times published news of a confidential memo from Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard.
The report found the Pritzkers had caused the residence they had purchased next to their home to fall into disrepair, in part, by removing its toilets in October 2015 in order to lower the homes property taxes by having it declared vacant and uninhabitable.
The confidential report by the inspector general characterized the Pritzkers tax appeal as a scheme to defraud taxpayers. Blanchard also connected the scheme to possible violations of state and federal law, including perjury and mail fraud.
On Oct. 4, 2018, three days after the Sun-Times published its story, Muenster cut five checks totalling $331,432 on the Pritzkers behalf and sent them to Cook County Treasurer.
(Excerpt) Read more at wbez.org ...
Corruption from an Illinois politician?
Who’d a thunk it.
It's perfectly legal, right? Doesn't everyone do that?
If not, why not?
Regards,
Yewwwwwwwww! Words have meaning. Yuck!
No hurry, the Governor’s Wing at Joliet is full.
Perhaps he best move to San Francisco.
Corruption in Illinois?
The home of those wonderful, law-abiding folks.....the Obama’s, Jesse Jackson, Kim Foxx and Jussie Smolett.
Perkins Coie law firm
All democrats and crooks use this law firm. I wonder why?
5.56mm
If JB goes to prison over this that will make 3 of the last 4 Governors of Illinois. That would be a new record.
As inept as Rauner was no one ever accused him of criminal activity.
Such is life here in the Peoples Republik of Illinois.
L
Liberals always want to tax the heck out of you, but in their personal lives they do everything they can to avoid taxes.
Illinois...where the politicians make your license plates!...or should.
Is there a prison wing for Illinois Governors??
And don’t think Pritzker didn’t have to schmier the county assessor and a bunch of others to pull off this scam. This has been widely publicized since before last fall’s election but the filthy illannoy democrats voted for him anyhow.
Does a criminal investigation of an Illinois Governor count as news? I thought it was assumed...
(From Gov. Rauner political ad)
:: All democrats and crooks use this law firm. ::
REDUNDANCY ALERT!
Oh, and, birds of a feather.
4 of Illinois’ last 7 governors went to prison
Rod Blagojevich Governor from 2002 through 2009, when he became the first Illinois governor in history to be impeached. ...
George Ryan Governor from 1999 through 2003. ...
Dan Walker Governor from 1973-1977. ...
Otto Kerner Governor from 1961-1968.
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