Why Is Criminal Investigation Of Pritzker Toilet-Removing Property Tax Scheme Taking So Long? – Wirepoints

By: Mark Glennon*

Most Illinoisans probably don’t know or have forgotten, but a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors of Governor JB Pritzker’s property tax play is ongoing. Indictments might still result over the matter, where toilets were removed to lower property tax assessments on a Chicago mansion Pritzker owns.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

That goes for both Pritzker and the people of Illinois. If Pritzker did nothing wrong his name should be cleared.

If he’s guilty of criminal conduct, however, many voters would find that pertinent to their votes next month because trust has emerged as a major issue. Voters will be asked whether to amend the state constitution to permit the governor and General Assembly to impose income taxes at progressive rates, initially resulting in a $3.6 billion tax increase on high earners. But many voters are asking whether they can trust Springfield with more money and if it would keep the rates at the initial level.

No toilets. Therefore, “uninhabitable.”

The toilet story is now 2 ½ years old. It was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times in May 2017.

In October 2018, Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard concluded that Pritzker improperly received $330,000 in property tax breaks on one of his Gold Coast mansions as part of what he called a “scheme to defraud” taxpayers.

As summarized by the Chicago Tribune, “Blanchard also found that Pritzker’s wife, M.K. Pritzker, asked a contractor in 2015 to remove the mansion’s five toilets to make the home uninhabitable so it could be reassessed at a lower value.” Blanchard also said that M.K. Pritzker’s brother and her personal assistant later made “false representations” in sworn affidavits to the assessor about the property.

A federal criminal investigation of the matter focused on Pritzker, his wife and his brother-in-law was reported by WBEZ in April 2019.

But since then we’ve heard little, except that the matter may have been swept up into a broader investigation with additional suspects.

Federal investigators have been seeking records on the assessments of over 100 other properties, besides the de-toileted mansion, as reported by the Tribune and the Sun-Times this past July. Those properties have many different owners, but the requests did include, according to the Tribune, information related to assessments and appeals “on behalf of entities affiliated with the Pritzkers, including (the) Hyatt (hotel chain), Astor Street and Pritzker Group, from Jan. 1, 2016 to present.”

Maybe that’s a solid explanation for the delay. Putting together a larger case with multiple events and people is complex, and it’s not like the feds aren’t busy on other things in Illinois.

On the other hand, maybe their lack of action means they aren’t coming up with anything.

What about prosecution by local authorities based on Inspector General Blanchard’s findings?

Yeah, right. That would be up to Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Her office told the Tribune in July that it had not yet decided whether to pursue the case. They’ve now had Blanchard’s report for over two years.

That leaves it up to federal prosecutors, in whom you can have more confidence that justice will be done. Eventually, that is. Delay may be understandable, but it sure is regrettable.

*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.

44 Comments
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Poor Taxpayer
3 years ago

No Schitt!!

Ex Illini
3 years ago

JB is the typical liberal elite. Their mantra is “Do as I say, not as I do”. The rules only apply to the common man, not the King. And believe me, JB really does think he is the King. Covid gave him the perfect excuse to rule with a fat iron fist, and he loves it. In the meantime, Covid lets the slimy Madigan hide like the rat that he is. I doubt anything comes of the JB investigation. He has too much money to throw around. It will come out years from now that it was all a simple… Read more »

Nancy Martin
3 years ago

I dont understand how illinois can never get anything right. If this is true, he needs to be removed immediately.

rick1099
3 years ago

Trust Pritzger and his Fair Tax plan from a guy who cheated on his taxes via the “Toiletgate” fiasco. What happened to the wealthy should pay their fair share bs that the Fair Tax ads promote? How can the voters who support this tax be so stupid?

Don't tell them you are from Illinois
3 years ago

Only James Comey would say any prosecutor would not take this case. Comey would say There was no intent; while Mr.Pritzker was foolish and stupid he was not criminal. After all, what difference does it make?
Doesn’t Illinois have a private prison that can house our latest criminal governor, and family co-conspirators? We citizens need to take our state back, one politician at a time is a good start. Giving this guy a big fat Christmas Tax goose would be a tremendous mistake. Fly south and stay there!

Susan
3 years ago

Chicago has an ordinance requiring owners of vacant buildings to (among other requirements) prominently post sign outside vacant property, and register the building as vacant. At the time Tribune broke this story, many photos of the Astor St. mansion were published, no vacancy posting was visible. At tbe time story broke I searched the vacant building registry and Astor St. mansion was not registered. See link to detailed requirements at this website: https://ipiweb.cityofchicago.org/VBR/ In part, Vacant Building Owner Requirements: “…3. REGISTER the vacant building on the Department of Buildings web site. (see below) • A registration fee ($300-$600) is required… Read more »

Eddie
3 years ago
Reply to  Susan

I never heard of a vacant building owner doing this. Who’d admit to owning a vacant building publicly? Who’d publicize such ownership in a crime ridden area?
☹️??

Freddy
3 years ago

According to Cook county ordinance you can get a Vacancy request in the assessment process based on residential assessment reduction as a result of a property vacancy will be recognized only in the event of a casualty. Example of a casualty include fire,flood, or other natural disaster event. No more than 24 months of full or partial vacancy will be tied to a single event. If a property was uninhabitable in whole or part in 2019 provide a description that caused the situation and the actions being taken to remedy the situation. Insurance document claim/photographs attesting to the uninhabitable condition… Read more »

True believer
3 years ago
Reply to  Freddy

Quit justifying his purposeful intent to defraud by making the property purposefully uninhabitable. If we had real prosecutors not RInos like Lausch or John Marshall affirmative action types in the government he Woukd be in jail. But idiots keep on voting democrat.

Freddy
3 years ago
Reply to  True believer

Removing toilets to reduce assessments is nowhere considered a casualty. If that were the case just having to replace a wax ring and saying I could not find a replacement so just lower my assessment and I’ll use a porta potty in the meantime.
I ran the scenario of removing my toilets to my local assessor in Rockford and they just laughed. Problem is Cook County Assessors office on vacancy policy has not been public until recently.

Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  Freddy

He would have had more of a problem if he had put a Porta Potty there. He fleeced the taxpayers just as casual as a smooth crook could do. This was just a normal day for this crook and he will never ever get in trouble for,doing it. Illinois is corrupt to the core and will never get any better until people wake up. But the free shit army is always fed so thats not ever going to happen.

8675309
3 years ago

Crook

Emil.
3 years ago

Injustices of this kind as shown in Pritzker case, where the way of removing toilets from the mention, on one hand could be excusable, since by the fact, by the mean of residence, without toilets, renting those units would not be possible, unless out was just done, as all rich people in America, that this way are making America great again for their own purpose, they cheat on paying property taxes,land using loopos they have created by their crooked lawyers, they get rich! Of course so called grassroot Citizens, Residents, or so called illegal Immigrants, or and Residents are out… Read more »

Bill
3 years ago

Could this possibly explain why J Beluga now takes a large dose of Ex-Lax when he gets a headache?

Boo
3 years ago

I believe we have bigger problems then Pritzker removing toilets, the whole world is literally upside down and this is considered important conversation? I think we can do better!

Wolf1018
3 years ago
Reply to  Boo

Boo, are you as dense as your comment makes you sound? You really think the article is about Pritzker and his TOILET SEATS? It’s about him scamming the people of Illinois out of $330,000 in taxes when he is trying to float thru one of the BIGGEST FLIM FLAM SCAMS in history with his “Fair Tax Amendment”! And I love the the Propaganda sent out by Jesse White in the blue folder where it misrepresents the bottom 5th of wages contributing 14.4% of their wages compared to the top 1% only contributing 7.4% of theirs. What those percentages really mean… Read more »

Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  Wolf1018

I commented above about people waking up and taking the state back and how that would never happen.. Boo, you just made my point.

3 years ago
Reply to  Boo

Boo I can only take your comment as that you are not a taxpayer from Illinois. Us taxpayers from Illinois are tired of being taken advantage of by the Springfield Corupt polititions

Clp
3 years ago

I wonder if he paid taxes, unlike our President. How are you so rich(his words) but not pay and even get $$$$$ back. Let’s talk about that Wirepoints

True believer
3 years ago
Reply to  Clp

Worry about your democrat friends corruption. And trust me you have no comprehension or idea about the complexities of the tax law. You do not have the intellectual or educational ability to understand the concepts of depreciation, carrybacks and the tax law. So be quiet.

Valentine
3 years ago
Reply to  Clp

According to a Sun Times article in 2017 he paid about 2.4% of his $35.5 million income in Illinois state taxes, allegedly other states received taxes from this.. In 2018 he paid about 3.8% of his $5.5 million income in Illinois state taxes. No answers as to why there is a $30 million drop in income, or why he wasn’t paying more. I wish I could save a percent of my state taxes.

His released returns were heavily redacted.

True believer
3 years ago
Reply to  Valentine

If you are not a tax attorney, a CPA or a tax person you have no clue what’s going on. So stop making a fool of yourself and showing your ignorance.

3 years ago
Reply to  True believer

Nobody has a clue because the discussion points are about a redacted so called tax return that may or not be accurate. One thing to add is that the big deductions came from carryback losses that were previously not allowed but were put into law by Obama’s tax changes. I don’t know why but Obama sure was good to Trump tax wise along with other similar taxpayers. Perhaps the New York Times was too. They seemed to have some income/loss issues around the same time.

Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Glennon

It all gets so old. These people truly are delusional.

Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  Clp

Let me guess. You are a CPS teacher and love Venezuela.

STACY
3 years ago

Vote this corrupt tyrant out of office ASAP!

Jim
3 years ago

Yeah, we don’t need the money ….

Susan
3 years ago

The case is criminal if there was non-uniform treatment of all similarly situated assessment appellants by Chief Assessor Berrios/Dem Party Chair. Were all assessment appeals which sought refunds based on retroactive COE granted exemptions from statutory requirements to file timely paperwork related to destruction of improvements? Is assessor’s office allowed to unilaterally ignore a statuory requirement which prohibits diminution of assessed value if timely paperwork was not filed? (90 day filing requirement would seem to make 3-year retroactive COE impossible; if papers were not filed within 90-day periods 3-, 2-, and 1- years ago, then “no diminution of assessed valuation… Read more »

taxpayer
3 years ago

The building was uninhabitable. Pritzker, or his agents, found a loophole and exploited it. He may be evil and criminal, but I don’t see the crime in this case. The real solution is to tax land value only, as Daniel Foster proposed in his 2018 campaign for Cook County Board. Retired assessor Ted Gwartney says that would cut 80% of the cost of assessing. It would close Pritzker’s loophole, and remove much of the penalty for building on vacant land in derelict neighborhoods.

Phillip
3 years ago
Reply to  taxpayer

Tax evasion is illegal. That’s what disconnecting the toilets was.

True believer
3 years ago
Reply to  taxpayer

You must be a crooked democrat loser. There is a difference between making a building uninhabitable than having an uninhabitable building. The laws are made by democrats who are criminals.

Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  taxpayer

That would mean the loss of so many patronage jobs. Berrios’s family members and cronies would all go on unemployment. That would plunge the state in its final bankruptcy due to,the sheer numbers of family and cronies out of work. I dont think ComEd or Metra, another Madigan playground could absorb that many new employees

Governor of Alderaan
3 years ago

You’re asking Big Government to investigate Big Government. It’ll take the Democrats as long as they need to get the answer they want, just like with counting mail in ballots

True believer
3 years ago

RINO Lausch is a Beverly Democratic clown. He has allowed Daley, Rahm, Madigan, pritzker, Steve Berlin, Ervin, the black caucus , Patricia Van Pelt, Sophia King, and others. And Lausch is a product of the Democratic controlled Usdoj. Trump needs to fire him. Why can’t he finally indict Madigan? Because his real boss Obama said no.

Hank
3 years ago
Reply to  True believer

His real boss, President Trump that is, is the Rothchilds and anybody in the Illuminati. Don’t forget about Soros, too.

Defund Democraps
3 years ago
Reply to  Hank

Anybody? You are an idiot. Surely there is someone at the top.

True believer
3 years ago
Reply to  Hank

See a doctor immediately and be hospitalized with strong medicine.

Mel
3 years ago
Reply to  True believer

The point you made that I agree w is getting rid of Madigan.

True believer
3 years ago
Reply to  Mel

RINO Lausch will never indict Madigan. He’ll wait and hope senile Joe and blm girl Harris win, God forbid. Then he will just slide. He’s a Beverly democrat.

Douglas
3 years ago

Also, this tribute article documents how JB uses the Bahamas to avoid taxes and why his excuses don’t hold water. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-met-jb-pritzker-bahama-offshore-shell-company-20180313-story.html%3foutputType=amp

Poor Taxpayer
3 years ago
Reply to  Douglas

I feel like Pritzker flushed me away

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