A lawsuit has been filed against the office of Gov. JB Pritzker by a conservative watchdog group, alleging that the administration is unlawfully withholding public records related to a photograph showing the governor posing with a man named Kellen McMiller, who was later involved in a deadly Michigan Avenue smash-and-grab robbery. McMiller, wanted in four states, was captured in a photo with the governor in Englewood just days before the fatal incident. The photograph was removed from the governor’s website after McMiller’s arrest on murder charges.
Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit in Sangamon County Circuit Court, seeking the release of photographs, communications, and vetting records related to McMiller’s appearance with Gov. Pritzker on September 5. Shortly after the photo was taken, a group of burglars stole goods worth nearly $700,000 from the Louis Vuitton store on North Michigan Avenue. The burglars fled in several vehicles, with McMiller allegedly driving a black Kia that crashed into another vehicle, resulting in the death of 40-year-old Mark Arceta.
Arceta, who was on his way to his final shift at Northwestern University before starting paternity leave, was killed in the crash. His wife gave birth to their son shortly after his death. McMiller was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the incident.
The lawsuit alleges that the Pritzker administration removed or altered images and online materials related to the event involving McMiller after his arrest and failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records about the encounter. The governor’s office initially praised peacekeepers like McMiller as trusted messengers in the community, but the image of Pritzker standing with McMiller was removed from the press release page following the Michigan Avenue incident.
Judicial Watch’s FOIA request, submitted on September 22, 2025, has yet to be fulfilled by the governor’s office despite multiple deadline extensions. The lawsuit aims to compel the release of non-exempt records, prohibit further withholding of documents, and award attorneys’ fees and costs.
This exclusive reporting, funded by our readers, sheds light on the events surrounding Gov. Pritzker’s association with Kellen McMiller and the subsequent legal battle to access public records related to their meeting.
