Pritzker says there is no conflict of interest with blind trust

[March 01, 2022]  By Kevin Bessler

(The Center Square) – After a report that showed his blind trust invested in one of Illinois’ largest contractors, Gov. J.B. Pritzker went on the defensive Monday.

A report by the Better Government Association revealed Pritzker’s trust bought stock in Centene Corp., one of Illinois’ largest Medicaid contractors in 2020, the same year his administration made several decisions that benefitted the company’s bottom line.

The acquisition by Pritzker’s trust came despite his campaign pledge to purge his personal portfolio of companies holding state contracts. When Pritzker signed an economic disclosure form in May 2021, the Centene holding was reportedly listed, making Pritzker aware of it.

When asked about the blind trust Monday at Navy Pier in Chicago, Pritzker said he doesn't control his investments.

“I have no ability to direct anybody to make an investment or to disinvest,” Pritzker said. “What I can tell you is that we have safeguards in place so there are no conflicts of interest.”

State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, joined other Republicans Friday critical of the blind trust. On Monday, he told WMAY there are concerns that need to be cleared up with the investment in Centene and another company mentioned in the BGA report.

Separately, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, talk about the governor's blind trust  

• GovPritzker Facebook, WMAYNews Facebook

"The blind trust is run by his brother-in-law, so who knows what the conversations are going on at family gatherings and stuff like that," Butler said. "But we need to make sure, like other states do that you can't invest, it's the statute that you can't invest so that the people running the trust would know that you can't invest in this stuff, and obviously that didn't happen in this case."

Others are calling for the governor to come clean and provide details, including state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst.

“Including what he owns, what got bought, what got sold, and he needs to back it up with honest records, including his full tax returns,” Mazzochi said.

Separately, the issue of stock purchases by elected officials is being debated in the U.S. Congress, which is considering strengthening stock disclosure laws aimed at stopping lawmakers from profiting from their access to insider information.

After several stock-related scandals, Congress passed the Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge Act in 2012. No lawmaker has been successfully prosecuted under the act.