Now, before you say "What a waste of taxpayer dollars," it's important to note that he's paying out of his own pocket.

illinoismansion.org, Facebook
illinoismansion.org, Facebook
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When you've got the kind of walking-around-money that our current and previous governors have at their disposal, you can do things like fork over $850,000 to continue the renovations of the Illinois Governor's Mansion.

Former Governor Bruce Rauner launched his own privately funded $15 million renovation of the mansion, spearheading a fundraising campaign that began in early 2015. The mansion, considered one of the nation’s oldest continuously occupied governor’s residences, reopened in July 2018 near the end of the Rauner's tenure.

The Springfield estate built in 1855 will be closed for tours until November 23rd due to the latest overhauls, like fixing tile on the first floor, remodeling guest rooms and modernizing current plumbing.

An analysis by the Sun-Times showed that Pritzker, a Democrat, has used at least $3.45 million of his own money to cover government costs that include doubling some salaries and other renovations. He spent $275,000 to rehab his office in the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago, according to the governor’s office. He also spent $100,000 to renovate the governor’s downstate home in Du Quoin.

Last year, Pritzker broke campaign finance records by giving his own campaign $171.5 million. Campaign finance reports indicate he spent about $12.2 million to compensate his staff.

Pritzker is the wealthiest sitting politician in the U.S., worth an estimated $3.2 billion, according to Forbes. That number tops President Donald Trump, who is worth an estimated $3.1 billion.

 

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