Report reveals Illinois governor bought state contractor stock while in office

A new report alleges a blind trust set up to manage Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s fortune bought stock in one of Illinois’ biggest contractors.

According to the non-partisan Better Government Association, the investment was in Centene Corp. in 2020, the same year Pritzker's administration made several decisions that benefited the company’s bottom line. Centene is one of the state’s largest Medicaid contractors.

“Centene has made millions on serving our most vulnerable population under Medicaid, and it is not appropriate or ethical for the governor to be a known investor,” said State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna.

One of Pritzker’s campaign pledges was to purge his personal portfolio of companies holding stage contracts.

State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, said the governor needs to explain himself.

“The time has come for the governor to come clean with the residents of Illinois and be open, honest and fully transparent about his financial interests during his tenure,” said Mazzochi.

A BGA review of public records revealed the purchase of Centene stock could have been made anytime during 2020. While the blind trust is designed to guard Pritzker from knowing when the investment in Centene was made, actions by his administration nevertheless benefited the health care giant.

As a result, Deputy House Minority Leader Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, filed new legislation aimed at strengthening state ethics law by extending the list of who is required to file quarterly statements of economic interest to include department heads within the Executive branch.

“Illinois taxpayers are justifiably skeptical about public officials and those who serve under them directly taking advantage of their position of public trust to turn a personal profit,” Demmer said in a written statement. “Heads of state departments should be held to the same rigorous standards for filing timely and accurate financial disclosures currently in place for statewide constitutional officers, members of the General Assembly and others as prescribed by state law.”

There was no response from the governor’s office when asked for comment.

The BGA reports Pritzker's attorney, Marc Elias, rebuked the report.

“The only information he received is a ready-to-file Statement of Economic Interest, which contains no values,” Elias told the BGA in a written statement. “To suggest otherwise is not only inaccurate but potentially libelous.”