CHICAGO – Illinois' governor is secretly using over $174 million of Illinois taxpayer dollars to buy "millions" of masks and gloves from China – the same place where the global coronavirus pandemic originated.
At the same time, Chicago Crain's reports Chicago has been hiding a stash of 3.9 million hard-to-find N95 masks – portions of which the city has been sharing as the needs arise.
Still, Pritzker has publicly criticized the Trump Administration time and time again over the past few weeks about not producing needed PPE equipment for hospital personnel and first responders.
"We have gotten very little help from the federal government. It's fine. I've given up on any promises that have been made," Pritzker, a Democrat, told CNN's Erin Burnett on "OutFront." "I hope something will get delivered from the federal government, but I don't expect it anymore."
About Pritzker buying masks and gloves from China, according to the Chicago Sun Times –
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is planning to obtain millions of masks and gloves from China and bring those supplies back to Illinois on charter jets — but he’s keeping the details secret out of fear the Trump administration might seize the cargo for the federal stockpile, sources said Tuesday.
Illinois state Comptroller Susana Mendoza said Tuesday that the state has spent more than $174 million on purchases related to COVID-19, including supplies such as ventilators, masks, gloves, gowns, protective eyewear and hand sanitizer.
Among the list of expenditures: two invoices, each for $888,275, to FedEx Trade Networks Transport for “aircraft charter flight to Shanghai, China for COVID-19 response. … Prepayment required.”
And about the 3.9 million N95 masks stash in Chicago, from Chicago Crain's
The city so far has drawn down and sent out 501,000 of the very hard-to-find N95 masks, according to Arwady’s office, even as other officials gripe that they can’t get enough. An additional 720,000 have been reserved for possible use in the emergency hospital facility at McCormick Place. That still leaves more than half of the city’s original stock of 3.9 million as the pandemic continues to unfold.
