The Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission voted unanimously Thursday morning to release an investigative report from the Legislative Inspector General about former state Rep. Harry Benton.
The investigation report won’t be released immediately, but instead likely by the end of next week, according to an official statement from the commission.
Chair of the commission, Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, said in a statement following the vote that the delay was in part because state law requires time for all involved parties to request redactions and provide a response to the report.
The vote comes just a day after Gov. J.B. Pritzker was pressed with questions related to the speaker’s own conduct and lack of action when handling complaints related to Benton.
According to Pritzker, Welch has held a series of meetings this week with the various caucuses within the Democratic party of the House, in which he has taken feedback and explained his actions in handling the Benton case.
After a meeting with the House Democratic Women’s Caucus Wednesday, State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, reignited her call for legislation that would allow staff of lawmakers in the General Assembly to unionize.
The speaker previously gave the Illinois Legislative Staff Association a cold shoulder, despite what members called a “good faith” attempt to discuss the matter with him.
Welch gave statements regarding the handling of the claims against Benton in the past week, in which he said his actions would be explained clearly when the report is released.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
Comments