Joe Berrios Will Continue To Accept Campaign Cash From Tax Lawyers

CHICAGO (CBS) – Cook County's top tax man, Assessor Joe Berrios, called out the media on Monday after a series of reports raised critical questions about his office.

He called the reports "misleading" and "inaccurate."

CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards recently reported that attorneys who appealed tax bills on behalf of homeowners also contributed nearly $2 million to Berrios' campaign funds.

After Edwards' report and a series in the Chicago Tribune critical of the assessment process, Berrios said changes are needed in his office, but he will still accept campaign contributions from tax attorneys.

"Whether you are an attorney and you don't contribute to my campaign, guess what, you will get the same treatment as everyone else."

Dr. Richard Borst, a tax assessment expert was flown in and raised questions about the methodology used the critical Tribune series.

When Borst was asked if he thought it was proper for the assessor to accept campaign cash from tax attorneys, he said, "I have no opinion on that."

Since 2015, Borst's company has two contracts with Cook County worth $66 million.