Video- Did Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker Lie To The American People On CNN?

Illinois (ECWd) –

Once again we must ask the question, did Illinois Governor JB Pritzker lie to the citizens of Illinois, and the American public at large? We asked the same question in this article, where, by all indications and actions he appeared to have lied to the citizens of this state regarding county control over wind farms.

This second question came about based on inquiries we received regarding a Tucker Carlson segment which showed a CNN clip of Pritzker making what appears to be a false statement regarding the new Illinois Gun Ban law and its penalties.

I searched the CNN website and other sources and could not locate the video used during the Tucker Carlson broadcast, which I found odd since CNN had dozens of other Pritzker interviews.  Why was this very recent video not on their website?  While I knew Pritzker’s statement was false, we wanted the whole video clip to ensure the response was to a question on point to the new law rather than the short clip published on Carlson’s show.

After reaching out to a source with access to a service that could capture the missing CNN video, we are able to once again expose troubling false statements by our Governor and prove his words were not true by comparing them to the very law he signed.  The reason this is so important is not just to point out the Governor misrepresented the truth but how dangerous such misrepresentations can be to the citizens of this state.  Anyone taking the Governor’s word on National TV may sit back and ignore the new law because they think it’s only a fine if you get caught the first time, which is not true.

Pritzker was asked by Jake Tapper of CNN the following question:

“What penalty would state residents pay if they don’t abide by that and within the next year come forward and register their weapons in this category?

Pritzker response:

“Well, it begins with a fine, uh, if they, if they don’t, uh, you know, if they’re caught, under this ledg, it begins with a fine, but a second instance, uh, is a class four felony.” (emphasis added)

The entire interview is below and set to the question outlined above.

So there is no confusion, a first offense is NOT a fine but rather a Class A Misdemeanor and a second offense is a Class 3 Felony, not a Class 4 felony as Pritzker claimed.    

Did Illinois Governor JB Pritzker lie twice to the American People in his interview regarding the new Illinois Gun Ban law and its penalty provision?

Under Illinois law, a Class A misdemeanor is a criminal offense, which carries the most severe penalties of all misdemeanor offenses. If you are charged with a Class A misdemeanor, the maximum potential penalties include up to 364 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,500.00 in addition to mandatory court assessments.  A Class 3 felony carries sentences of between 2 and 5 years in prison, which is harsher than the penalties of a Class 4 felony Pritzker pointed to.

Sec. 24-1. Unlawful use of weapons. – (a)(15) Carries or possesses any assault weapon or .50 caliber rifle in violation of Section 24-1.9;

If a person fails to register their weapons as Tapper referenced in the Pritzker interview it would be a violation of 720 ICLS 5/24-1(a)15. The sentence for violations of 24-1(a)15 is spelled out in 24-1(b) shown below.

“(b) Sentence. A person convicted of a violation of subsection 24-1(a)(1) through (5), subsection 24-1(a)(10),subsection 24-1(a)(11), or subsection 24-1(a)(13), or 24-1(a)(15) commits a Class A misdemeanor. A person convicted of a violation of subsection 24-1(a)(8) or 24-1(a)(9) commits a Class 4 felony; a person convicted of a violation of subsection 24-1(a)(6), or 24-1(a)(7)(ii), 24-1(a)(7)(iii), or 24-1(a)(16) or (iii) commits a Class 3 felony. A person convicted of a violation of subsection 24-1(a)(7)(i) commits a Class 2 felony and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 3 years and not more than 7 years, unless the weapon is possessed in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle as defined in Section 1-146 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, or on the person, while the weapon is loaded, in which case it shall be a Class X felony. A person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of subsection 24-1(a)(4), 24-1(a)(8), 24-1(a)(9), or 24-1(a)(10), or 24-1(a)(15) commits a Class 3 felony. A person convicted of a violation of subsection 24-1(a)(2.5) or 24-1(a)(14) commits a Class 2 felony. The possession of each weapon or device in violation of this Section constitutes a single and separate violation.”

The ONLY place in this new law that speaks to a “fine“ is related to high-capacity magazines and in that case, they say it is a petty offense with a fine of $1,000.00 for each violation and no mention of any further penalties for second or subsequent offenses.

“(g) Sentence. A person who knowingly manufactures, delivers, sells, purchases possesses, or causes to be manufactured, delivered, sold, possessed, or purchased in violation of this Section a large capacity ammunition feeding device capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition for long guns or more than 15 rounds of ammunition for handguns commits a petty offense with a fine of $1,000 for each violation.”

Reading the very law JB Pritzker signed it is clear his statements were not true and could easily create criminals out of law-abiding citizens who listened to what he said and took it as true.

We urge the public to compare the Illinois Governor’s words to the world versus the law he signed and judge for themselves as to whether he lied or not.