What They Are Saying: Bombshell Report on FBI Tapes of J.B. Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich Dominates Illinois Airwaves

Since the Chicago Tribune published a bombshell report revealing that Democrat candidate for Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker actively sought political office from disgraced ex-governor and convicted felon Rod Blagojevich in 2008, the story has been dominating the airwaves in the state, raising serious questions for the billionaire candidate. And despite claims by Pritzker that the story is not a “big deal”, it’s is clear that the issue is not going away any time soon. Here are some highlights of recent coverage:

Chicago’s major network news broadcasts extensively covered the report on Pritzker’s conversations with Blagojevich regarding his potential appointment as Illinois Treasurer:

ABC Chicago political commentator Laura Washington called the details of Pritzker and Blagojevich’s conversation “very unseemly,” and that he doesn’t “want to be anywhere near” the disgraced governor’s name:

LAURA WASHINGTON: “They were talking about campaign contributions in that conversation, they were talking about, different options, a Senate seat, Treasurer, it was very unseemly, especially any time Rod Blagojevich’s name comes up…  you don’t want to be anywhere near that”

Pritzker’s Democrat primary opponents took aim at him, as ABC Chicago reporter Leah Hope said “we should be hearing much more about this:”

Pritzker tried to shrug off the disturbing revelations from the tapes, his response summed up by a Fox Chicago anchor as “not a big deal:”

Despite Pritzker’s claims that the tapes are not worth worrying about, they are already affecting his campaign schedule. NBC Chicago reported that Pritzker had dramatically changed his schedule in the wake of the Tribune’s report, noting that being linked to Blagojevich is “not an image any candidate would want:”

“Democratic candidate for governor JB Pritzker changed his schedule Thursday, a move that’s raising questions one day after a Chicago Tribune report was released surrounding his alleged telephone recordings with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. 

Pritzker’s team said he double-booked events Thursday night, but Ald. Nick Sposato said he had been planning a meeting with Pritzker and labor leaders and Northwest Side committeemen for more than a month. 

Sposato received a phone call late Wednesday afternoon from a Pritzker staffer looking to reschedule the meeting…

Pritzker also canceled a WLS radio interview scheduled for Friday, however his campaign says it will be rescheduled… 

Being linked to the now-imprisoned governor is not an image any candidate would want in what’s likely to be a heated and expensive campaign.”