Illinois' second-richest man is backing Gov. Bruce Rauner's agenda, according to a campaign contribution filed on Monday.
Rauner is amassing enough money to dwarf that of his political foes.
Sam Zell sat out of Rauner's race for governor. State records show no listing of Zell giving any money leading up to the election last November.
But now Zell, a Chicago real estate and investment mogul, came through with a record-setting $4 million contribution. Not to the governor himself, but to his new "Turnaround Illinois" Political Action Committee.
"The Turnaround PAC is going to focus on supporting members of the General Assembly who will take on the special interests and vote to do our Turnaround agenda," Rauner said when asked about the PAC last week.
Rauner says Turnaround Illinois will be used to support candidates who go along with his agenda.
"And it will oppose and campaign against the legislators who are really aligned with the special interests of big government and higher taxes and conflicts of interest,” Rauner said.
That agenda seeks to minimize unions' influence and reduce costs on business.
Rauner, a Republican, often bemoans labor unions and trial lawyers as corrupt because of the contributions they make to politicians. Separate from the PAC, Rauner's own campaign fund is sitting on $20 million.
