Pritzker challengers demand audit, pitch ‘DOGE for Illinois' and point to Walz-style failures
Two Republicans challenging Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker demand fraud audits after Minnesota scandal, citing alleged vulnerabilities in state programs.
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Two Republicans running for Illinois governor this year are calling for Springfield to clean up its act in the wake of Minnesota's rampant fraud scandal, citing multiple areas of alleged vulnerability under incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker.
The Democrat and Hyatt Hotels heir defended Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after Walz declined a third term amid his state’s fraud scandal, calling Walz a "friend" and saying he was "thankful for his service and sacrifice."
Current GOP frontrunner Darren Bailey announced plans for a "DOGE for Illinois," and fellow Republican Ted Dabrowski publicly demanded that Pritzker submit to a full audit of social services, including SNAP.
"At the bottom of all these crazy budgets, all these deficits, all these tax hikes are everyday Illinoisans who are just getting whacked," Dabrowski said at a recent press conference on the matter of Illinois’ tax woes and Pritzker’s oversight of state programs.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has put President Donald Trump in his proverbial crosshairs before on social media as well. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Dabrowski, the former president of Chicago-based financial research firm Wirepoints, said Illinois has seen disbursements to childcare social services funding spike nearly 300% since 2019, and wondered aloud, "Is that fair?"
"They were just burning their tax bills on the West and South Side [of Chicago]," he said, referencing reports of people literally lighting their tax forms on fire in November after witnessing 100% increases at times.
Calling for a true forensic audit of Springfield’s books, Dabrowski said Illinois cannot print money like the U.S. Treasury can, but may only keep borrowing on the backs of taxpayers.
VP VANCE SAYS TIM WALZ SHOULD RESIGN' OVER MASSIVE MINNESOTA WELFARE FRAUD SCANDAL INVESTIGATION
Similarly, Bailey announced this week that his running mate, Palatine city legislator Aaron Del Mar, will also be named "Illinois DOGE Czar" if his ticket is successful against Pritzker in November.
"This will be a transparency-first project," Bailey, a recently departed state senator for the Effingham area, said in a statement.
