CHICAGO — The so-called “toilet fiasco” that dogged Gov. J.B. Pritzker during his campaign has not gone away, as new reports indicate the matter is currently the subject of a federal investigation.
During the same week Pritzker marks 100 days in office, WBEZ reports investigators are looking into whether he and his wife broke the law by removing toilets from their Gold Coast mansion to get a tax break.
According to WBEZ, the federal criminal investigation began last October. Around the same time, the Sun-Times published a confidential Inspector General report laying out “a scheme to defraud taxpayers.” The report alleges MK Pritzker directed workers to remove all toilets from their Gold Coast mansion in order to have it declared “uninhabitable.”
That declaration lowered the market value of the mansion by about $5 million dollars, providing the Pritzkers with a tax break of about $331,000 from the county. As the report became an issue on the campaign trail, the Pritzkers gave the money back to the county last fall.
The governor’s opponents are already using news of the federal investigation to try and slow his agenda in Springfield. Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, said it shows Pritzker, “can’t be trusted.”
“Pritzker must immediately cease all of his efforts to raise taxes, including his graduated income tax, because he’s under federal criminal investigation for not paying his own taxes,” Schneider said.
During a visit to the Illinois State Police Forensic Science Center, Pritzker said he has no concerns about the probe, noting the issue dates back to the October campaign.
“I’m very confident that any review of this matter will show that all the rules were followed. I’ve not been contacted by any law enforcement, neither has MK,” Pritzker said.
