Paul Vallas joins conservative Illinois Policy Institute after mayoral loss

After spending months on end insisting that he is a lifelong Democrat, Chicago mayoral runner-up Paul Vallas has announced that he is joining the right-wing think tank Illinois Policy Institute (IPI).

IPI was founded in 2002 and it has raised millions of dollars for research involving policy, budget, taxation, labor and criminal justice in Illinois. With offices in Chicago and Springfield, IPI has been described as “arguably the most influential conservative organization in the state [of Illinois]” by ProPublica.

First reported by Politico’s Shia Kapos, Vallas has been hired as a policy advisor on the issues of education, public safety and fiscal policy research. His prior experience as the president of Chicago Public Schools likely drew the organization to him.

“I will never be someone who sits idly by and complains about these problems,” Vallas said in a statement. “I am always going to work to make things better. That’s why I could think of no one better to partner with than the strongest government watchdog in the state — the Illinois Policy Institute.

IPI also used to work closely with former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) in the past, and the organization has received massive donations from groups tied to the Koch Brothers. According to the IPI website, their goals include advocating for smaller government, low taxes and limiting unions, all classic conservative ideas. Despite the blatant obviousness of IPI being a conservative institute, Vallas is joining the organization  after trying to convince  voters in Chicago that he is a Democrat.