* As we discussed months ago, most of Maryann Loncar’s allegations against Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) were full of holes. Her “bribery” claim had changed (and grown) over the years, but was easily disproved. Her claim that Lang had killed legislation because of her involvement was flatly denied by others working on the bill. Her ex-husband denied an allegation that Lang had reached out to him with an offer to help him “bury” Loncar. After Rep. Jeanne Ives told a reporter that Loncar wouldn’t be making sexual harassment allegations, Loncar went on Dan Proft’s radio show the morning of her press conference…
Proft asked her whether the still-unnamed legislator had said if she wouldn’t “play ball, and play ball means of a sexual nature, then you’re not going to get what you want.”
“In every nature,” Loncar replied. “It all starts in Springfield of a sexual nature if you’re female. All of it.”
However, when her statement to Proft was read back to her later that day by my associate Hannah Meisel, Loncar admitted Lang had made no such demand.
Loncar then claimed at her subsequent Statehouse press conference, “I was harassed. I was intimidated. I was humiliated.”
* But now the Legislative Inspector General has cleared Lang of all claims, including harassment…
But in a report issued Wednesday, Julie Porter, the acting legislative inspector general, wrote that there is not enough evidence to support Loncar’s claims and that the matter is now closed.
She also wrote in an email to Lang that she found Loncar’s allegations “unfounded.”
“Given her unwillingness to speak to me, and taking her descriptions and those of her colleague at face value, I do not have sufficient evidence to support a conclusion that such occurrences, if they even happened, constituted sexual harassment,” Porter wrote.
Lang said in a statement issued Wednesday that “the allegations were absurd and false and remain so today.
“Therefore, I welcome the Inspector General’s conclusion that completely dismisses the allegations as ‘unfounded,’” Lang wrote. “As far as I’m concerned, I have been vindicated and this matter is now closed.”
There’s lots more, so go read the rest.
No word yet on whether Lang’s leadership and committee slots will be restored.
*** UPDATE *** Tribune…
“It is ridiculous to think that any person who feels victimized by a member of the House or Senate would be consoled to reveal their plight to a hand-picked I.G. appointed by the Speaker of House,” Loncar said in the statement.
“What I have seen played out since my press conference confirms everything I assumed about having a Legislative Inspector General appointed by the Speaker of the House: it is a joke,” her statement read. “The joke is on the victims. The joke is on the Illinois taxpayers.”
- Honeybear - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 9:39 am:
Perfidy Exposed
What a pathetic play the ILGOP pulled.
I hope Republicans feel proud
of this despicable move.
The hijacking of Me Too
is beyond despicable
And makes full mockery
of the real and true suffering of victims.
I sure hope ILGOP
pays horrendously for this.
I can’t wait to use this canvassing.
This should prove totally useful
especially against Kay.
These are the types of tactics
The ILGOP uses.
- Retired Educator - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 9:43 am:
Good for Mr. Lang. I hope he is reinstated to his leadership role.
- Perrid - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 9:50 am:
The whole thing confused me so much. I really don’t like attacking a victims’ credibility but she was just so flaky, and making so many grandiose, outlandish accusations. It wouldn’t surprise me if Lang had “played hardball” so to speak and had her blacklisted, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was a little too “friendly”, which is not OK, but thrown in the middle of all the other claims those just got lost.
And if she refused to talk to the LIG then of course the claims have to be declared unfounded. What was the point in making the complaint?
- Real - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 9:53 am:
I still believe Rauner is behind some of these allegations targeting Madigan’s inner circle.
- Barrington - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 9:54 am:
Feel sorry for Loncar. She seems very confused and was used. Hope she can pick up the pieces.
- Real - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 9:56 am:
She looked very scared and confused when she announced the allegations.. But scared for what? The consequences of making false reports?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 9:57 am:
The $170 million attempted bribe allegation was so ludicrous on its face that she lacked credibility for any other claims.
Plus, she claimed that she so feared for her life that she didn’t dare go to the authorities with her claims — but she wasn’t too afraid to air them at pressers and on radio shows.
- Grand Avenue - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:00 am:
Nothing’s getting restored until after November 6th
- Anon0091 - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:02 am:
Denise Rotheimer sets back the #MeToo cause every time she opens her mouth. These are real issues that must be dealt with seriously.
- Amalia - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:06 am:
due process, right? an investigation clears someone and we move on, hoping to learn things and all of us be better. Meanwhile, in Maine Township, there was an investigation, about a Republican trustee, and the finding was there was not enough to say that touching occurred. But there are loud voices, including that of Marty Moylan, that say the elected trustee should resign. so, Rep. Moylan, should Lou Lang resign? I think the Lang case is over. why is the other case not over?
- Flat Bed Ford - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:06 am:
Lou’s first action once reinstated into leadership will be to post the party schedule for the veto session at The Globe
- Honeybear - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:13 am:
This is why we don’t make false allegations.
It backfires
I think ILGOP better stop
listening to people who
promote and levy
false allegations and perfidy.
I wouldn’t keep taking the advice
of these folks.
Look where it got you.
You don’t meet and deal with folks
Who want to meet at the crossroads
at midnight.
- Texas Red - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:13 am:
I’d “bet” on Lang getting back those leadership/committee roles. The “odds” are good in favor of his return to power. No need for any “luck”, or any “games” to be played. He will return to leadership it is a “sure thing”.
- Dr Dean - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:21 am:
Mr. Lang and the Me Too movement has been vindicated.
#MeToo is not a joke to be used as a revenge took.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:25 am:
Amalia-
There was no due process in Maine Township. The allegation was “investigated” by a law firm working for the township, aka “the accused.” The case is now going to the EEOC and the Human Rights Office, where we will see due process.
Maine Township, like most units of local government, does not have an independent investigator.
The accusations in Maine Township are not going away because they are coming from an elected woman within the same party as the accused. There is no perception she has a personal axe to grind.
- Chris Widger - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:35 am:
The Legislative Inspector General is chosen by the General Assembly. Sham process leads to sham results. (Of course, the OEIG is also chosen by the executive branch.)
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:49 am:
sigh
#MeToo only works as a Democratic attack tool - not Republican.
- Stark - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 10:54 am:
Understood why he made the decision to resign his leadership position at the time, but he should be reinstated to it.
- Perrid - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:11 am:
@VanillaMan, please stop with the selective memory to make yourself/your party look like a victim. Off the tip of my tongue Conyers and Franken come to mind, that were explicitly forced out in the MeToo wave.
Regardless of how political opponents capitalize on the movement it is real and needed.
- Jimmy H - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:23 am:
I remember her initial press conference; she was wearing a large Christian cross. I thought at the time her faith was giving her the strength to come forward with the allegations. Now that the allegations have proven false, I wonder what the cross actually means to her???
- LoyalVirus - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:25 am:
@Perrid - Hear hear.
- JoanP - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 11:43 am:
@Perrid - “attacking a victim’s credibility”
Point is, she wasn’t a victim.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 12:04 pm:
–#MeToo only works as a Democratic attack tool - not Republican.–
Mapes and Kevin Quinn were Republicans?
Your Chronic Victim blinders are highly effective.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 1:17 pm:
==What I have seen played out since my press conference confirms everything I assumed about having a Legislative Inspector General appointed by the Speaker of the House: it is a joke,” her statement read.”==
So who would be the appointer? Anyone appointed would have some connection somewhere with somebody.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:02 pm:
Ugh. Is the process less than ideal? Yes. Is that an excuse for not participating in it? No.
You had no problem laying it all out there at a press conference, so what’s the problem with telling your side of things one more time? The reasonable assumption is the story would not have held up. Better to tell the story, and make them issue a finding based on the evidence and determine credibility and dispute that finding, rather than lose based on a lack of participation. Didn’t happen, so case closed.
- anon2 - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 2:30 pm:
This case is a reminder that not every accusation made in the name of #metoo is true, even if most of them are. Consequently, it’s not fair to jump to the conclusion that the accused is automatically guilty, esp. when there is just a single accuser and her story is dubious from the get-go.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 3:52 pm:
Can someone explain a basis for the allegation posted here that Loncar was a Republican plant? I totally missed that.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 5:26 pm:
==Can someone explain a basis for the allegation posted here that Loncar was a Republican plant? I totally missed that.==
I didn’t make the allegation and I don’t think Loncar is a plant.
My best guess is based on reading many whodoneit novels over the years. When the detectives find a corpse, and the deceased’s spouse gets a huge life insurance settlement, that spouse becomes a person of interest.
The party that benefits becomes a suspect, whether fair or not.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 5:33 pm:
Nice going there Mrs. Ives….
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Sep 6, 18 @ 7:17 pm:
Wouldn’t a false allegation of GOP involvement in Loncar’s allegations be..perfidy?