SARA BURNETT, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has left the country for the holidays, but his staff won’t say where he went or even why they don’t want to disclose his whereabouts.

Spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said Wednesday the wealthy businessman-turned-governor left the U.S. last weekend for a two-week vacation with family. She said he’s paying for the trip himself and plans to return to Illinois on Jan. 3. She declined to comment further.

It’s not unusual for the Republican to keep his whereabouts secret despite pre-election pledges of transparency.

But not sharing information about his foreign travel takes the secrecy to a new level.

David Melton, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, says he doesn’t think Rauner has “reconciled himself to the fact he’s a public figure at this point.”