Mike Frerichs is the Illinois State Treasurer and Vice-Chair of the Illinois State Board of Investments. Since 2023, Mike Frerichs has purchased or renewed over $130 million in Israel Bonds using state tax money. Mike Frerichs’ investments make Illinois the fifth highest investor in Israel Bonds in the country.

In 2023, Frerichs joined the Israel Bonds conference in Washington, D.C for which his office has not provided any travel receipts. Frerichs is also part of a special lobbying group for Israel Bonds to convince more U.S. states and companies to invest in Israel Bonds. 

Mike Frerichs is the primary decision-maker in Illinois to for buying Israel Bonds. Frerichs has not showed up to the last two quarterly meetings for the Illinois State Board of Investors, avoiding public comment from Illinois residents demanding divestment.

In November’s election, voters in Urbana voted by over 70% to end US military support for Israel. In March, students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign voted by 73% to end investments in groups with human rights violations.  

Illinois state taxpayers have spent over a year demanding their state divest from Israel’s extreme violence. Illinois has the largest Palestinian population in the country, and Mike Frerichs expects us to be silent while our tax money is used to kill the friends and family of our Palestinian neighbors.

Enough is enough.