Chambana Sun

Gov. J.P. Pritzker is swirling in a controversy over a toilet tax break.

The Democratic governor, the wealthiest public official in the nation with an estimated worth of $3.4 billion, reportedly obtained a reduced tax assessment in 2015 on a second palatial home he purchased next to his house on the Gold Coast.

The home was valued at $6.25 million, but after five toilets were removed, it was deemed “uninhabitable” and the value was reduced to $1.1 million by three assessors. That lowered property taxes on the mansion by 83%, saving Pritzker and his wife M.K. Pritzker an estimated $330,000.

Scott Tapley | Stock Photo

It was an issue during his 2018 race for governor and has returned to the spotlight with reports that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago has asked for records of communication between Pritzker and the Cook County Assessor’s Office.

Scott Tapley, a former Champaign County board member, said it’s interesting to see it reviewed nearly two years after the election.

“Voters knew about the toilet tax break when they voted in 2018,” Tapley told Chambana Sun. “They don't care.”

Pritzker repaid the $330,000 during the campaign.

The governor understands the law, having earned a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University School of Law and being a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.

He dabbled in politics, running for the Democratic nomination for Illinois’ 9th District in 1998, finishing third in the primary. Pritzker served as national co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential 2008 campaign, and as a delegate at the 2008 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions.

By 2018, he was prepared to be a candidate again, and he became the Democratic nominee for governor and unseated Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, with a vote of 54.5% to 38.8%.

The toilet tax break was discussed during the campaign and Rauner used it as fodder in commercials. But it did not seem to make much of an impact with voters.

Tapley said that is the latest verse of an old, sad song.

“Corruption is expensive, and that's why it costs so much to live in Illinois,” he said. “But Illinois residents continue to elect and re-elect crooks.”

The investigations into longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) show that powerful figures in Illinois are still operating on the edge of the law.

Madigan, referred to as “Public Official A” in court documents, was the target of a campaign by Commonwealth Edison to obtain favorable legislation. ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine on a charge of bribery.

Federal investigators are now looking into ties the speaker had with AT&T lobbyists.

Tapley has been involved in several levels of Illinois politics. He served on the Champaign County Board from 1998-2007 and was a spokesman for seven referendum campaigns in the area, six of which were approved by voters.

The campaigns were to support a tax cap, oppose a quarter-cent sales tax and support creation of the Champaign Southwest Mass Transit District as well as a tax levy for CSWMTD to fund a lawsuit against CUMTD. He also worked on a campaign to urge no votes on a tax to support the Champaign County Nursing Home and yes votes to sell it.

Tapley, a Wadena, Minnesota, native, lives in Savoy with his wife Tammy. He has worked as a financial planner for more than 20 years and has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.