Gov. JB Pritzker Urges Republican Critics To Stop 'Pushing Stories' About His Family's Whereabouts; 'There Are Threats To My Safety And To Their Safety'

CHICAGO (CBS) -- In the wake of questions about where his family has been staying during the statewide stay-at-home order, Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday said he's been protective of his wife and children's privacy, out of fear for their safety.

Last month, published reports revealed Pritzker's wife and daughter had been staying at an estate they own in Florida, prompting critics to accuse the governor's own family of flaunting the executive order he'd issued mandating people stay at home as much as possible, and avoid non-essential travel.

Pritzker had refused to answer questions on the issue until Friday, when he said his wife and daughter had been in Florida before he issued the stay-at-home order. The governor said they sheltered in place there until recently, when they returned home. He said they're now at a "working farm" the family owns in Wisconsin, taking care of the horses there.

"That is an essential function to take care of animals at a farm, and so that's what they're doing," Pritzker said.

The governor noted that some protesters who have rallied outside the Thompson Center in Chicago and the Illinois State Capitol to oppose the state's COVID-19 restrictions have held up signs with hateful messages, some suggesting the potential for violence.

"I've been very private and reserved when it comes to my children, and it's because there are threats to my safety and to their safety," Pritzker said. "I would hope that the GOP, the Republican super-PAC that's pushing stories like this about my family would stop doing it, because they are putting my children and my family in danger."

Pritzker himself has been in Chicago virtually every day since the outbreak started, and has been isolating at home for the past week, after a member of his senior staff tested positive for the virus. The governor has said his family is following the same health and social distancing guidelines recommended for everyone else during the pandemic.

Earlier this week, when asked if he'd had a haircut, Pritzker said his son used clippers to give him a trim at home.