Letter from Pritzker campaign, Chicago-area company in SCOTUS tariffs case demand refunds
Pritzker says Trump stole $8.6 billion from Illinois families; Vernon Hills toy company was plaintiff in lawsuit
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A letter shared by Governor JB Pritzker's campaign office Friday demanded a $8.6 billion refund for Illinois families after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's far-reaching global tariffs on Friday.
Furious about the defeat, Trump said he will impose a global 10% tariff as an alternative while pressing his trade policies by other means. The new tariffs would come under a law that restricts them to 150 days.
Pritzker and fellow Illinois leaders are speaking out Friday after the Trump's loss before the conservative-majority high court. A Chicago-area business involved in the lawsuit is also reacting to the decision and their win in court.
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Gov. Pritzker said the top court's decision means the U.S. government owes American families some $2,000 per household. The Yale budget lab put that figure at $1,600. It is a question of law and logistics that is likely to be caught up in the courts.
"He is now saying he's got some secret plan to reimpose tariffs, or something like tariffs, that he hasn't told anybody about, but that he just wants to keep them going somehow," Pritzker said. "It seems like that's illegal, because the Supreme Court has now ruled the vote that he acted unconstitutionally in carrying out his tariffs."
A letter shared by Governor JB Pritzker's campaign office asked for the return of the $8.6 billion dollars, the governor says the president stole from Illinois families.
The Supreme Court did not speculate on how the president could move forward, only saying definitively in its verdict, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, that tariffs are a tax on the American people, and only Congress can impose taxes.
Last year's huge tariffs on China put Learning Resources' ability to operate in jeopardy. So, the local company decided to take the Trump administration to court, and a year later, they won.
Learning Resources is a family-owned business that has been selling educational toys for decades. Most come from China. When President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs last year, the Vernon Hills based company decided to fight back.
"Our company was threatened," said Stephen Woldenberg, Learning Resources VP Sales. "Our 500 employees were threatened by this. And we're not a company to stand by idly. So we wanted to take action."
The company took action by filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration. While many tariff cases were filed, Learning Resources became the plaintiff in the case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Because the Constitution gives Congress the right to impose tariffs, not the president, the Woldenberg family, who owns the company, knew the law was on their side and the high court would rule in their favor.
"We'd like our money back," Woldenberg said. "They didn't have any issue taking it. They shouldn't have any issue giving it back. We know they didn't comment on it today, but, we trust the process will play out."
The SCOTUS ruling did not lay out plan for refunds. Constitutional law experts say the issue will likely be settled in lower courts and it may make a take a long time.
"There have been plenty of cases in the past where the Court has said that some action was unlawful or even unconstitutional, but for various reasons, for reasons of Reliance or settlement, people just don't get back the money that they've paid in those cases," University of Chicago Law School Professor Jonathan Masur said.
President Trump is looking at plan B, using a different statute, he says he will impose a flat 10% levy on all foreign goods. In an angry press conference following the SCOTUS decision, he also took aim at Learning Resources.
"I know the people that brought the lawsuit, and sleezebags, major sleezebags," Trump said.
Woldenberg says his family does not know President Trump.
"We are really focused on how we can move forward after the ruling," Woldenberg said.
Besides being called "sleezebags" by the president, ABC7 asked Stephen Woldenberg if he is worried about any retribution from Trump. Woldenberg says the cost of tariffs is much higher than any cost associated with the case.
North suburban Congressman Brad Schneider announced the CEO of Learning Resources will be his guest for the State of the Union address this Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
