Darren Bailey of Bailey for Illinois has criticized Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for allegedly neglecting fraud and waste within the state government. Bailey’s comments came after Pritzker discussed accessing leaked federal military intelligence during an MSNBC interview. Bailey called for the implementation of efficiency measures to address these issues.
“JB claims he’s got moles inside the Trump administration leaking military intel,” said Bailey, Gubernatorial Candidate. “But somehow this clown can’t see the billions in fraud, waste, and abuse rotting inside Illinois government right under his nose. Illinois needs DOGE. Now.”
According to Bailey, he posted his statement on X, accompanied by a video clip from the interview where Pritzker mentioned receiving second-hand information from federal sources without permission. The post highlighted what Bailey perceives as a contrast between Pritzker’s attention to national security matters and his alleged oversight of state-level inefficiencies. Bailey proposed establishing a Department of Government Efficiency to tackle these problems in Illinois.
The Illinois Auditor General’s audit revealed that the Department of Employment Security issued $5.24 billion in overpayments related to unemployment insurance programs from fiscal years 2020 to 2022. This amount includes instances of fraud, non-fraud errors, and identity theft, with $2.04 billion attributed to the regular unemployment insurance program funded by employer taxes. These findings indicate significant vulnerabilities in benefit administration impacting Illinois taxpayers.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that fraud costs the federal government between $233 billion and $521 billion annually, based on data from fiscal years 2018 through 2022. Since fiscal year 2003, improper payments in federal programs have totaled approximately $2.8 trillion, although this figure may be undersaid due to limited reporting. These widespread losses underscore the need for systemic reforms to reduce inefficiencies across government operations.
Bailey operates a family farm in southern Illinois and served on a local school board for 17 years before entering state politics. He was elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and later joined the Senate in 2020, focusing on tax reduction and opposing expansive government policies. After his gubernatorial run in 2022, he announced his candidacy for the 2026 Illinois governor’s race.
