WBEZ photo
CHICAGO – Gov JB Pritzker, his wife, his brother-in-law and his wife's assistant are under investigation for a "scheme to defraud" Cook County taxpayers, WBEZ is reporting Wednesday morning.
A law-enforcement source familiar with the investigation confirmed to WBEZ that the probe, which has not been revealed publicly until now, began last October and remains active. There are no signs that criminal charges are imminent.
The probe stems back to the Cook County investigator general's report that in order to save property taxes on the mansion the Pritzkers purchased next door to theirs, the Pritzkers had toilets removed from the residence. Removing the toilets allowed the property to be declared "inhabitable" – lowering its assessed value and resulting property taxes.
The value was reportedly lowered from $6 million to $1.5 million, saving the Pritzkers over $300,000 in property taxes from 2015 to 2018.
Last October, when the inspector general's report became public, the Pritzkers brother-in-law wrote checks to compensate for the tax reductions, although stating the payment was not an admission of guilt.
The controversy is returning to the public's attention during the last five weeks while the General Assembly is in session, possibly creating a bump in the governor's effort to sweep his agenda through the Democrat-controlled legislature.
More details on report at WBEZ
