Prairie State Wire

Scandal has landed at Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s doorstep and proponents of good government are coming with questions.

“This morning, it was revealed in reporting done by the Better Government Association (BGA) that Governor JB Pritzker’s “blind” trust bought stock options in one of the state’s largest Medicaid contractors,” Don Tracy, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party wrote in a press release.

The Illinois GOP released a statement on Prtizker’s investment in Centene Corp., a Medicaid operator that made over $5 billion off the state in 2021,  

“Questions That Need Answering,” the Illinois GOP wrote. “Why didn’t the Governor avoid this conflict of interest by simply telling his trust managers to refrain from investing in state contractors? When was the stock in Centene originally purchased and how much has Pritzker profited from the investment?” and “Will the Governor release all correspondence and documents relating to Centene since he became governor?”

According to the Better Government Association, Pritzker and his trust's management declined to comment on the value of the Centene investment or when the shares were purchased.

When he ran for governor in 2019, Pritzker promised to remove state contractors from his investment holdings.

The Better Government Association reported Pritzker has not distanced himself from active involvement in the blind trust, according to a spokesman.

Centene's footprint has continued to increase throughout Pritzker's presidency and his ownership of business shares, with acquisitions of competitors in deals approved by the state.

The report says when regulators were concerned about its actions, Pritzker attempted to alleviate their concerns.

Prtizker has not made a public statement on the situation.