The governor’s promises to divest his vast portfolio of state contractors have not extended to his so-called blind trust, which has the governor’s money in at least a dozen companies with billions in state business

David Jackson
David Jackson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and four-time Pulitzer finalist whose work has focused on lifting the voices of neglected people amid life-threatening government failures.
State Filing on Medicaid Delays Asks Court to Reconsider
Saying a federal appeals court mistakenly created a “watershed moment” that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sides with insurance titans that administer healthcare reimbursements
City Claims on Anti-Violence Program Are Overblown
Mayor Lightfoot’s choice to lead the city’s campaign against gun-crime has a history of hyperbole, both about her efforts to confront Chicago’s greatest crisis and her own career.
Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Against State Medicaid Administrators
Citing the BGA investigation ‘Milking Medicaid,’ a three-judge panel said Saint Anthony Hospital has a ‘viable’ case against a state that has refused to enforce its contracts with private insurers who manage the program.
Former State Health Director Ezike Under Scrutiny by the State’s Top Ethics Investigator
Public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike connected with ordinary people nearly every day during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now she is CEO of a top state medical contractor. Did Dr. Ezike’s quick switch violate the state Ethics Act?
Foster Children Held in Jails, Shelters — Workers Threatened, Attacked: A State Agency in Crisis
One juvenile court judge asked: “What does a judge do when the department basically abuses a child?” Besieged Illinois child welfare director Marc Smith speaks out in a rare and passionate defense of his tenure, saying “every effort is being made” to protect children and workers.
Ald. Walter Burnett Softened Stance on Affordable Housing After Cash Flowed
Developer Onni Group wanted out of its obligation to include affordable units in its luxury Old Town highrises. Onni paid a Burnett friend more than $417,000 to lobby City Hall, helped sponsor a Burnett fundraiser and pledged $25,000 to a charity run by Burnett’s wife. Some tenants said the alderman abandoned them.
Pritzker Trust Bought Stock in a Top Illinois Contractor After He Was Elected Governor
Purchase of stock highlights weakness of Pritzker’s blind-trust arrangement in preventing conflicts of interest for billionaire governor’s holdings.
FBI Investigating Vaccinations At Loretto Hospital CEO’s Suburban Church
The probe focuses on the city’s role in vaccinations done at the suburban church when West Siders were struggling to get their shots.
Illinois’ $16 Billion Health Program Is Riddled with Industry Ties and Potential Conflicts of Interest
Milking Medicaid: The state health care agency has a revolving door for executives from the insurance industry.