Governor JB Pritzker today heads to Quincy and the Quad Cities in hopes of talking about anything other than the widening federal investigations into both Speaker Mike Madigan for bribery and the governor himself for property tax fraud.

Will today be the day he finally answers the tough questions?  Here are the top unanswered questions for Governor Pritzker to address:

1)    Will you comment on the latest report from the Chicago Sun-Times that you appointed the two top officials at the Illinois Tollway Authority based on the recommendation of former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker who is now embroiled in the Madigan bribery scandal?  Your spokesperson “singled out Hooker as a key voice behind the appointments.”  What is the nature of your relationship with John Hooker?

2)    Newspapers around the state continue to call on you to ask Speaker Madigan to resign.  You previously called on Democratic State Sen. Marty Sandoval to step down as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee before he was indicted.  Why are you changing your standard for Madigan and refusing to call on him to step down as both speaker and chairman of the Democratic Party?

3)    Yes or no – do you consider Mike Madigan to be a political ally?

4)    Are you concerned that the US Attorney in Chicago is now looking into property tax fraud allegations against you and that reportedly the inquiry is widening to multiple properties?

5)    If you will just continue to say that Madigan should resign if the allegations against him are true, would you agree that you should resign if the allegations against you are true?

6)    Can you name one allegation against Madigan described in the US Attorney’s court filing that you think is not true?

7)    Will you demand that Madigan return your campaign contributions from accounts that he controls?

8)    You appointed Carrie Zalewski to be the Chair of the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates ComEd.  Zalewski’s husband is a state representative close to Madigan and her father-in-law, a former Chicago alderman, is embroiled in the ComEd/Madigan bribery scandal.  Why did Carrie Zalewski fight in court to protect ComEd in litigation arising from the death of a cable line worker?  Doesn’t that raise red flags given her conflict of interest in the ongoing federal probe?  Are you covering up corruption here?

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