U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam
U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam
Illinois' GOP congressional delegation has sent a letter to John R. Lausch, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, demanding an investigation into an alleged scheme by J.B. Pritzker to defraud taxpayers.
Members of the delegation are concerned that Pritzker removed toilets from his home to reduce the property tax he was required to pay, according to the letter.
“The Cook County Assessor’s Office in 2015 reduced the assessed valuation of a mansion owned by Mr. Pritzker from $6.25 million to just under $1.1 million," the letter states. "These reductions allowed Mr. Pritzker to claim $132,747.18 in refunds for property taxes paid in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and reduced his property taxes for 2015 and 2016 by $198,684.85."
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost
An Inspector General’s report concluded Pritzker's associates submitted fraudulent affidavits to procure the assessment reductions, the delegation claims.
Specifically, the affidavits claimed the mansion had been "vacant and uninhabitable," with no working plumbing since January 2012. However, the delegation also noted that the toilets had only been removed in October 2015, just days before an appraisal of the property was scheduled.
“Illinois, perhaps more than any other state, has suffered greatly due to public corruption,” the letter states. "It is important to send a strong signal to the people of Illinois that no one is above the law, not even billionaires running for Governor. For that reason, we urge you to fully investigate this matter with all due speed.”
The seven-member delegation includes U.S. Reps. Peter Roskam, Mike Bost, Rodney Davis, Randy Hultgren, John Shimkus, Adam Kinzinger and Darin LaHood.
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