Jeanne Ives questioned Illinois' involvement with Gotion in a November 15 post on X, saying, "I ask again, WHY are Illinoisans forced to subsidize CCP-backed Gotion?"
"Stories like this come out every day," said Ives, Founder. "So, I ask again, WHY are Illinoisans forced to subsidize CCP-backed Gotion? Dump Gotion NOW, Gov. Pritzker or Trump will do it for you."
In her post, Ives shared a link to a Military.com news article. The article noted that multiple telecommunications companies had been compromised in hacking efforts associated with Beijing to access private calls of "a limited number of individuals." This is not the first time the FBI has discovered hacking from China this year. According to the Military.com article, posted on November 14, the FBI disrupted a Chinese hacking operation called Flax Typhoon, which installed software on over 200,000 consumer devices. In October, officials reported hacking linked to China that targeted then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, as well as individuals associated with Vice President Kamala Harris.
On November 13, the FBI issued a joint statement with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) regarding China's targeting of commercial telecommunications. The statement reveals that the agencies identified individuals connected to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) who compromised networks at US-based telecommunications companies. These actions aimed to steal customer call records and compromise private communications of individuals primarily involved in government or political activities and to copy information subject to US law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders. This discovery was part of an ongoing investigation into the PRC's targeting of telecommunications infrastructure.
Gotion and Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a new factory last September. "Today, we take another leap forward, announcing the largest electric vehicle battery production investment in Illinois to date," said Pritzker in a September 8 press release. "It's my pleasure to welcome a world-leading battery manufacturer — Gotion — to Illinois. This announcement is a testament to Illinois status as a leading destination for companies and investors who want the most talented workers, the best transportation systems, and a collaborative economic growth mindset from their partners in government at all levels. With 2,600 new jobs, a $2 billion gigafactory, and the most significant new manufacturing investment in Illinois in decades — it's the most recent proof that we are in a new paradigm."
Jeanne Ives is a former Illinois State Representative who served six years representing House District 42. She ran for governor in 2018 and sought election to represent Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2020.
Alerts Sign-up