New investigative reporting revealed last week that Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch knew of misconduct by a now-resigned lawmaker far longer than previously known, raising questions from some on his commitment to a safe working environment.
In the Chicago Tribune investigation, reporters spoke with a former staffer of state Rep. Harry Benton, who resigned July 3, after an investigation by the Legislative Investigator General concluded.
The new reporting detailed that the Speaker’s office was made aware of reported misconduct by Benton as early as 2023, yet they delayed any action on the matter until earlier this year.
In response to the reporting, Welch’s office said the report by the LIG details all the steps his office took to respond to complaints made against Benton, and he is not opposed to the report being released.
Previously, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has consistently said he hasn’t seen the report on Benton, but he believes the process of investigating wrongdoing is working.
The Legislative Ethics Commission is still expected to meet sometime before the end of the month, and it could choose to release the report on Benton publicly.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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