CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Cook County State’s Attorney's office said it's secured a $266-million award against the Sam’s Club chain.
It came from the company's failure to pay taxes on the sale of cigarettes over a seven-year period from 2009 to 2016.
The county sued Sam's Club in 2019 for failure to comply with its tobacco tax ordinance. The $226 million will go directly to the county.
In a statement, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said there’s still a possibility for an appeal, but she’s confident the judge reached the right result.
“I am extremely proud of the work of the dedicated Assistant State’s Attorneys in our Civil Actions Bureau who fought hard to achieve this unprecedented recovery, which will support and fund the County’s continued efforts to serve citizens across Cook County,” said Foxx.
Randy Hargrove, senior director of national media relations for Walmart, spoke to WBBM Newsradio about Sam's Club's plans going forward.
“We have been working with Cook County for some time to resolve this issue," Hargrove said. "Sam’s Club is a responsible taxpayer and we continue to believe the assessment and ruling are wrong. We plan to appeal to the Circuit Court of Cook County.”
Sam's Club is a division of Walmart Inc.
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