Rauner Lawsuit Fits His Pattern of Putting Profits Before People

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Rauner Took Lessons Learned to Governor’s Office, Tried Drove State into Junk Bond Status

 This morning the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times both wrote stories about Governor Bruce Rauner’s involvement in a lawsuit that he’s requesting to stay secret. Rauner is being sued by Kirkpatrick Capital, a firm he was still invested in 2016. From what little is known, the story feels familiar – Rauner and the other Kirkpatrick Capital investors intended to invest in an existing company quickly sell if off at profit while undercutting the owners.

“In 2015, Kirkpatrick Capital sued United Shore and Jeffrey and Mathew Ishbia, members of the founding family that remains the majority owner. The Ishbias, the lawsuit claimed, pulled the plug on Kirkpatrick’s efforts to sell the company — which by then was valued by Raymond James Financial Services at $400 million to $525 million. At least four firms expressed interest in buying the company in early 2013, but the Ishbia family suspended the sales process because it ‘did not want to give away so much of this newly created value to’ Kirkpatrick Capital, the lawsuit says.

‘The parties understood that Kirkpatrick Capital was not making a long-term investment in Shore,’ Kirkpatrick’s lawsuit against United Shore said. ‘Kirkpatrick was investing in Shore with the understanding that Shore would be marketed for sale in the near term.’”

Bruce Rauner leaned on his business acumen during the 2014 campaign, but investigative reports found that companies Rauner invested in were pushed into bankruptcy or stripped down for profits. Flash forward three years to when Governor Rauner called on the legislature to sustain his budget veto even though it would push the state into junk bond status, and a pattern emerges.

“Bruce Rauner sold voters a bill of goods when he said as a businessman he would turn the state around,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Just like he did in business, Rauner racked up Illinois’ debt and was pushed the state towards a fiscal cliff all for political profit. Now he wants to hide his true record from the public but it’s too late. Voters know they are worse off under three years of Rauner’s failed leadership in action.”