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IIn a state known for its history of political scandals and corruption, the governor of Illinois, J. B. Pritzker, is the last charge that would have been the subject of a federal inquiry.
The 54-year-old Democratic governor, his wife and his brother-in-law are all under investigation, according to WBEZ, following a call for tax relief . Pritzker and his wife pleaded for property tax relief after buying a 126 year old manor. According to a report from the Inspector General of Cook County, the first lady, MK Pritzker asked the house workers to remove the restrooms from the residence in order to declare her "uninhabitable" in order to benefit from the "house". substantial tax relief.
The Inspector General's report indicates that Pritzker's brother-in-law, Thomas Muenster, and M.K. Pritzker's personal assistant was involved and the so-called scheme cost taxpayers more than $ 330,000.
Pritzker denied allegations that his wife or he would have violated the law at a press conference on Wednesday, noting that law enforcement agencies had not yet contacted him about it. .
"I am very confident that any review of this case will show that all the rules have been followed," Pritzker said. "No law enforcement contacted me any more than Mr.K."
Illinois and its largest city, Chicago, have been attracting corruption and political scandals for decades. Former 62-year-old Democratic governor Rod Blagojevich has been indicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempting to cede an appointment to a seat in former Speaker Barack Obama's Senate following his presidency .
The 85-year-old Republican George Ryan, who had served as governor before Blagojevich from 1999 to 2003, was indicted after leaving office for a litany of charges including corruption, racketeering and money laundering. ;money. In 2006, he was sentenced to more than six years in prison. Ryan was released in 2013. The Democrat Otto Kerner Jr., governor from 1961 to 1968, then US circuit judge, was convicted of postal fraud and sentenced to three years in prison, although he was released earlier.
President of the Republican Party of Illinois, Tim Schneider, criticized Pritzker in a statement, noting that the governor had also been accused of evading taxes by holding bank accounts abroad.
"A governor of Illinois under federal criminal investigation in 101 days of activity must set a new record, even for Illinois," said Schneider. "The Independent Inspector General of Cook County has termed a" scheme to defraud "taxpayers. Yet, Pritzker continues to put pressure on Illinois families and businesses to raise taxes – an absurd hypocrisy of Pritzker. "
The Association of Republican Governors did not delay in condemning Pritzker. In a statement provided to the Examiner from Washington, Spokesman John Burke said that after a few months at his post, Pritzker "had already proven to the people of Illinois that he was totally unworthy of their trust."
"This investigation raises serious questions about Pritzker's behavior and shows that he's nothing more than another corrupt politician who believes himself above the law, at the same time." like his friend Rod Blagojevich, "said Burke.
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