Pritkzer Dips Into Own Pocket To Double Salaries Of Senior Staff

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Some top staffers in the administration of Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker will see their government salaries doubled as the billionaire Democrat plans to dip into his own pocket to boost the paychecks of at least 20 positions.

The incoming governor registered East Jackson LLC last month to increase compensation for senior staff members, including his chief of staff, three deputy governors, deputy chiefs of staff and others will receive double salaries.

“The Governor-Elect is committed to recruiting top talent to state government to best address the challenges Illinois faces. As a result, an LLC has been created that will enable the Governor-Elect to personally compensate some staff in addition to their government salary," Jordan Abudayyeh, the press secretary for the incoming governor, said Friday in a statement. "This process will take place in a transparent manner with requirements that information be reported publicly.”

For instance, Chief of Staff Anne Caprera will receive $150,000 from East Jackson Street, LLC on top of an annual salary of $148,000 from the state. Deputy governors Dan Hynes, Christian Mitchell and Jesse Ruiz will have their $139,000 salaries matched dollar for dollar by the LLC, as will Pritzker's senior advisers. The LLC will be solely financed by Pritkzer himself, according to his transition team, and is designed to ensure that staff remain subject to state oversight requirements.

Abudayyeh, whose state salary will be doubled to $150,000 with the personal Pritkzer funds, pointed to the administration of another billionaire politician, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose administration provided bonuses of between $100,000 and $400,000 to entice senior staff to take government jobs.

Not all of the Pritkzer-subsidized positions have been filled. Additionally, some members of Pritkzer's office staff will be taking lower government salaries than their predecessors. (Under Rauner deputy governors made nearly $200,000 a year and the outgoing governor's chief of staff made $180,000.) Pension obligations will be calculated from the taxpayer-funded part of the salaries, non-taxpayer funds will be reported at the time of hire and staff will be required to sign paperwork reaffirming that as state employees, their only obligation is to serve Illinois residents, according to Pritzker's transition.

Prior to the end of the 100th General Assembly, the Illinois House and Senate passed legislation allowing Pritkzer to raise salaries of department heads by 15 percent. The incoming governor said compensation for cabinet officials like the director of prisons, secretary of transportation, the emergency management director and their top deputies was not competitive. According to the Associated Press, opponents of the measure criticized increasing taxpayer-funded salaries as the state faces an unprecedented and growing $130 billion unfunded pension liability.