Chambana Sun

Dan Caulkins, a Republican running for a House seat in the 101st District, isn’t sure if he’s appalled or just flabbergasted by J.B. Pritzker’s actions.

“I can’t imagine someone trying to pull what he has,” Caulkins told the Chambana Sun. “What he has done is illegal and amounts to trying to defraud the government. He thinks because he’s so rich and powerful he can just get away with it.”

The Chicago Tribune reports Pritzker, the Democratic nominee for governor, recently announced he plans to reimburse the Cook County treasurer’s office $330,000 for property tax breaks and tax refunds he was granted after an inspector general's investigation raised questions about if he may have received them under false pretense.

Throughout his campaign, Gov. Bruce Rauner has mocked his rival as a “tax cheat” who once removed toilets from a home he owns as a way of avoiding having to pay a fair tax rate on the property.

“This kind of behavior is indicative of the self-entitlement he feels,” said Caulkins, running against Democrat Jen McMillin in the 101st District. “He thinks he can buy his way out, just like he’s always done when he’s had a problem. The only difference is this time he’s in the spotlight because he’s running for governor.”

Caulkins argues Pritzker only moved to pay the money back after State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said her office planned to look into the matter and staffers in Rauner’s office began referring to his reimbursement plan as an admission of guilt.

“I don’t understand how someone like this can even think of representing the common man,” Caulkins added. “This provides us with a shameful picture of just who he is. It gives us a rare glimpse of his true character. The fact that anyone would still be speaking up for him shows just how much our morals have decayed.”

The 101st House District spans parts of Champaign, DeWitt, Macon, McLean and Piatt counties.