“I bet you J.B. can raise me money like that,” former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in the recording. “If I can get J.B. to do something like that, is it worth giving him the Senate seat?" | Contributed photo
“I bet you J.B. can raise me money like that,” former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in the recording. “If I can get J.B. to do something like that, is it worth giving him the Senate seat?" | Contributed photo
The Illinois Republican Party launched a robocall linking venture capitalist and possible gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker with House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) and imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Blagojevich is known for a phone call, recorded by the FBI, allegedly conspiring to sell President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. The GOP robocall incorporates a portion of the infamous conversation from the FBI tapes.
“I bet you J.B. can raise me money like that,” Blagojevich said in the recording. “If I can get J.B. to do something like that, is it worth giving him the Senate seat? Incidentally, he asked me for it. Don’t repeat that."
Pritzker was subpoenaed by the grand jury of the U.S. District Court in 2008 during the investigation into Blagojevich's activities, and he was ordered to provide all documents, records and electronic media regarding Blagojevich and his cohorts to the grand jury. The billionaire had raised money for Blagojevich's political campaigns.
“For years, J.B. Pritzker has worked behind the scenes to screw Illinois taxpayers," Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe said. "Pritzker provided nearly a million dollars to Mike Madigan’s political front group and inserted himself into Rod Blagojevich’s criminal scheme to sell Illinois’ U.S. Senate seat. J.B. Pritzker is just another corrupt political insider.”
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