Wilson, 70, rejected claims from political competitors that he was simply buying votes at the Sunday event held at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The Illinois State Board of Elections announced Monday it agreed with Wilson, because the money came from his registered nonprofit foundation at the event he promoted as “one of the biggest property tax relief assistance” events of 2018. Wilson owns and operates several McDonald's franchises in addition to owning a medical supplies company.
The Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation announced on its Facebook page Sunday it had given away $300,000 to “struggling homeowners” on Chicago’s South Side, although Wilson later told the Sun-Times it was closer to $200,000. Republican Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, who is currently embroiled in his own reelection campaign, also attended the event. But while Rauner’s campaign released a statement distancing themselves from the event, Wilson told the Sun-Times he thinks people are trying to “make political hay out of it because they don’t got nothing else on me.”
