Overview
- The bipartisan Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission voted unanimously Thursday to publish the Legislative Inspector General's report on former state Rep. Harry Benton, but state law allows the respondent and complainant to request redactions before the document is posted.
- The commission said it expects the redaction review to be completed by July 31, after which the report for case number 26-005 will be posted on the LIG website.
- Benton resigned earlier in July and dropped his re-election bid after allegations of sexual harassment prompted leaders to remove him from committees and call for his departure.
- Recent reporting says Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch’s office knew of complaints about Benton dating to 2023, spent more than $1.4 million to aid his reelection, and that Welch had interactions with a former Benton staffer that made her uncomfortable, raising questions about leadership judgment.
- The vote has intensified calls from Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the House Democratic Women's Caucus, and lawmakers for transparency and stronger harassment response rules, and it has given House Republicans material to press political attacks and demand further accountability.