* The Chicago Tribune…
When he detailed the steps his office took that led state Rep. Harry Benton to resign his seat amid allegations of sexual harassment, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch praised those who “trusted our office to listen, support them and ensure their concerns were handled appropriately.” […]
But Welch’s account of his office’s swift response stands in sharp contrast to what happened three years ago. That’s when a young female Benton staffer — one of his first hires whose interactions with the lawmaker were part of the investigation — outlined a lengthy series of harassment allegations, many of a sexual nature, to Welch’s office. […]
Benton wasn’t interviewed by the speaker’s top staff until three months later, in July 2023, according to calendar records obtained by the Tribune. That was after the woman had already quit her job, saying she feared for her mental health. According to the former staffer, Benton was not disciplined at the time. […]
The former Benton staffer’s experience — and the years of inaction that followed — raise pointed questions about whether Welch’s office violated state and internal sexual harassment protocols it was legally required to follow, and whether a lawmaker whose conduct had been reported to leadership was allowed to continue for years without consequence until another woman had had enough. […]
Separately, the Tribune investigation found documents showing that Welch himself responded to social media posts by the former Benton staffer — who had previously interned in the speaker’s office — in ways she told the Tribune made her “uncomfortable.”
Click here to read the rest.
…Adding… House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
“The reporting released today raises serious questions about what House leadership knew, when they knew it, and whether they acted quickly enough to protect staff.
“Delays in delivering accountability only protects misconduct. The Benton report should be released, and anyone who failed to uphold their responsibility must be held accountable. The culture has not changed and must change; public trust depends on it.”
…Adding… The Illinois Legislative Staff Association…
We are the Organizing Committee of the Illinois Legislative Staff Association.
We are sickened and appalled by the events reported in this article. The Illinois Legislative Staff Association was founded, in part to protect a group of workers that are uniquely vulnerable to sexual harassment and retaliation, due to their statutory exclusion from basic worker protections.
Measured by that bar, we have failed our membership, every legislative worker, and the people of Illinois.
To the former staffer and lobbyist that are topics of this article and all the survivors whose stories will never be told, we are sorry. We should have been better, pushed harder, and done more to support the people who needed us most.
Click here for some background on the ILSA.
- MeToo2 - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 8:00 am:
There’s a lot to unpack in this story and it leaves a lot of unanswered questions about Benton and Welch’s own behaviors.
- Will County - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 8:29 am:
Well look at speaker Welch’s history himself. He has been accused of issues with females. He learnt from the best of them Speaker Madigan and his chief of staff. Clean shop for once!
- 44 - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 8:31 am:
Three years??!! And she was his former intern. Way to look out for the young people. Which means when this was all going public he well knew what was going on and still delay delay delay. People in power…
- Trinity - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 8:50 am:
Let’s be honest, women in Illinois who speak up about sex discrimination or harassment too often pay for it. Instead of holding perpetrators accountable, the system isolates, discredits, and ostracizes the women who come forward and do the right thing. While expecting them to stay quiet and protect the status quo.
Some of the strongest, most accomplished women I know have been branded with a scarlet letter and silenced by NDAs, then later terrorized by those same NDAs, simply for refusing to let the next woman face what they did. Something has to change.
- Me Too, As Well - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 9:02 am:
Friendly reminder that 2023 (the year these allegations were made) was the very same year Welch refused to allow his staff to unionize. That was intentional. That conversation needs to be started again, but this time outside labor orgs need to step in and support legislative workers because they’re too vulnerable to do it alone.
- Grape Juice - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 9:19 am:
Can’t say the warning signs re: Welch and women weren’t there:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2021/01/13/rep-emanuel-chris-welch-madigans-successor-as-illinois-house-speaker-faces-questions-about-his-treatment-of-women/
- No Consistency - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 9:36 am:
Why wasn’t Harry Benton given the same treatment as Former State Senator Ira Silverstein?
- SpiDem - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 9:48 am:
I for one find it absolutely amazing that a man like Fred Crespo got kicked out of the caucus for working on an actual piece of legislation at the same time as they were trying to bury these allegations about Harry Benton.
- TBD - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 9:57 am:
Drip drip drip. Release the report.
- One Term Mayor - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:03 am:
- SpiDem -
LOUDER!!
- Bagger Vance - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:11 am:
I read the Tribune story from beginning to end.
I applaud the courage of the former staffer and lobbyist for coming forward. Whomever you are, I salute you.
On its face, this story raises deeply troubling questions about Welch and Moy as well.
It seems like Moy was pushing the staffer to file a complaint with the Legislative Inspector General because Welch did not want to deal with the possible fallout of handling Benton himself. That’s not leadership Tiffany.
Benton could have, at the least, been stripped of his committees, kicked from the Caucus, and told if he had the audacity to run in 2024, he would be primaried. Keep in mind: this is what happened to Mary Flowers allegedly over a Hitler mustache comment.
And Welch? Posting Googley-eyed emojis at women who work in the state government biosphere? It is disgusting.
If Pritzker does not call Welch this weekend and tell him it is time to step down as Speaker, he can kiss any hope he has of running for president goodbye.
7-1 odds that women are going to contact Rick Pearson.
- City Zen - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:11 am:
Funny what party leaders will tolerate when one of their own is in a purplish or light blue district with ties to Big Labor.
- Deja who - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:13 am:
So much for #Winnersdothework and its a #Newday. Same as the last guy.
- anon - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:19 am:
As a woman who has been in and around this world for decades, I feel sick to my stomach after reading this. When will things change?
- Cordelia Goode - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:20 am:
Their staff in Springfield and in their District Offices were excluded from the Illinois Human Rights Act. Most voters aren’t aware of that detail.
- best in the world - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:28 am:
There’s no way there is not more to come… wow! This absolutely unacceptable.
The House Dem Caucus needs to evaluate how closely they all wish to be tied to the Speaker and Benton going into the general election.
The mailers using Welch’s heart eye emoji’s to a staffer young enough to be his daughter on Instagram write themselves.
Run for cover and save yourselves…
- Simon - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:28 am:
There’s a lot here and the Trib did some fine reporting, but am I the only one who thinks they kind of buried the lede?
The Speaker of the House creepily liking the victim’s social media posts, then urging her to communicate with him on an encrypted app, and then offering to meet her at a bar? This is a young woman who left her job after making a sexual harassment complaint against one of his members and he’s communicating with her like that? Some of the worst judgement I’ve ever seen.
- Phineas - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:36 am:
I’m with Simon on this. Join me at a bar, and let’s move the conversation to Signal? Marty Quinn would have told Speaker Welch to never contact her again.
- best in the world - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 10:49 am:
==There’s a lot here and the Trib did some fine reporting, but am I the only one who thinks they kind of buried the lede?
There’s too much “professional courtesy” being afforded to Speaker Welch by the Trib. Publishing this on a Friday in July and burying the real tea, which are the creepy emoji’s and in-person meetings at his favorite place to spend his donor’s money, Gibsons.
I’m left to wonder.. is there a part 2 of this story. Is this just the tip of the iceberg? The Speaker has demonstrated he has poor judgement. Is this the only instance he’s demonstrated poor judgement regarding interactions with women.
- queenies - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:01 am:
== It seems like Moy was pushing the staffer to file a complaint with the Legislative Inspector General because Welch did not want to deal with the possible fallout of handling Benton himself. That’s not leadership Tiffany. ==
There’s a story about questionable actions by a male legislator and the male Speaker and you decide the focus should be on the female chief of staff? Right there is the problem. Let’s blame anyone else by the people who have actual power.
It sounds like Moy was telling Benton’s employee her options and what she could do. Not even the chief of staff to the Speaker has any control over how a member acts. If the member is a creep, it’s up to the Speaker to take action.
- Johnny B - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:18 am:
Birds of a feather flock together
- SpiDem - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:19 am:
Queenie,
You are absolutely correct. I can absolutely see a scenario where Tiffany thought she was advising the victim properly by going to the IG.
It’s also very possible that Tiffany was aware of Welch’s history of conduct with women (it’s been well documented) and felt the victims best course of action was to get the complaint into the hands of the independent IG rather than handle it internally.
- VK - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:21 am:
Shocked to discover Chris Welsh being a creep. There’s nothing that ever came out at all about that maybe being true. Certainly nothing during his race for the gavel. There were no red flags at all. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. Couldn’t possibly know what you’re talking about.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:30 am:
I’m with Simon and queenies on this. The real story is the Speaker’s behavior and lack of interest in investigating a known creep.
If Moy knew Welch was trying to bury this - and it sure sounds like he was - she was maybe helping by suggesting the employee report it to the LIG, thereby taking it out of Welch’s hands.
I’ve known several smart, competent, ambitious women - staffers, state employees, lobbyists - who left the business entirely because of this type of behavior. It needs to stop.
It would be naive to think this behavior would never happen again. It’s not at all naive to think Speaker Welch should’ve done more. He failed the staffer, he failed the lobbyist, and he failed his caucus.
- Just Me 2 - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:31 am:
This looks really bad for Welch, like maybe he should resign as Speaker, but regarding McCombie: I will not be lectured by a party whose leader has been held liable for rape, and who clearly abuses women on a daily basis, and they continue to worship him.
- Trinity - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:35 am:
== It seems like Moy was pushing the staffer to file a complaint with the Legislative Inspector General because Welch did not want to deal with the possible fallout of handling Benton himself. That’s not leadership Tiffany. ==
Excuse me? Tiffany is not just some silly woman working in the Speaker’s office. She was COS and worked there for FOURTEEN years. Let’s put some respect to her name. Maybe she was making sure the complaint was PROPERLY handled? Doing the right thing to help others is not only leadership but integrity.
- Bagger Vance - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:36 am:
@Queenies -
Being a woman does not excuse Moy from accountability. She was chief of staff. Instead of doing her job of ensuring that the sexual harrassment of one of her staff was thoroughly investigated and Benton held accountable, she punted.
She is in the private sector now, I think.
That does not, however, let Welch off the hook, as I thought I made clear. It’s up to the caucus (let’s be honest the women in the Democratic caucus) and Governor Pritzker (let’s be honest Anne Caprara) to decide whether they are willing to tolerate this kind of leadership from Welch.
At this point, his statement makes it pretty clear he is unrepentant and did all he could about Benton.
All I am saying, and I think Rick Pearson is saying, is that he could have done the same thing about Benton that he did about Mary Flowers. And, if history is a guide, more women will be calling Rick Pearson with more allegations that Welch failed to act on sexual harrassment complaints as long as he is Speaker.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:38 am:
- you decide the focus should be on the female chief of staff? -
Did you stop reading after that paragraph?
- queenies - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 11:47 am:
@ Bagger Vance — Being a woman does not excuse Moy from accountability. She was chief of staff. Instead of doing her job of ensuring that the sexual harrassment of one of her staff was thoroughly investigated and Benton held accountable, she punted. —
How do you know she punted? How do you know what steps she took? That wasn’t the focus of the Tribune’s article and yet it’s what you seem to focus on. I think the point is that the Speaker knew back in 2023 that Benton was a creep and did nothing until 2026.
- Trinity - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:02 pm:
For timeline reference reasons, Dec 2025 it was announced Tiffany Moy was leaving The Speaker’s office in Feb 225. That’s the thing, How do we know if Tiffany “went along with it”? Maybe she was pressured by a hostile work environment to stay silent and comply or risk being ostracized? If she was terminated for recommending her to the IG’s office, that could be a whole other puzzle box.
- Trinity - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:03 pm:
Correction:Announcement was made Dec2024
- Pause - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:17 pm:
Moy did exactly what she needed to do. This is on the Speaker. He owns this.
- Bagger Vance - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:18 pm:
@queenies -
I know that Moy punted because she did not immediately take action to protect her staff, which is the normal thing to do when you receive credible and serious allegations of sexual harrassment and a hostile workplace.
As the Tribune makes clear.
The Speaker’s Office could have notified Benton they received a complaint, it had been founded, and that he was prohibited from having any further contact with the staff of the Office of the Speaker, Office of the Clerk, etc.
She did not do that.
The Tribune contacted her, and she could have told Rick Pearson if she was pressured by Welch to bury the complaint. She did not do that either.
I am not focusing on her, but I am not excluding her either, just like we did not exclude Mapes. If the governor, the speaker, or the president of the U.S. gives you an unlawful order, your job is to say “Nope.”
We all want to hear Tiffany’s side of the story, of course, but silence is complicity.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:21 pm:
===her staff===
This is in no way a defense, but district office staff are controlled by members, not Springfield.
- Resign - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:27 pm:
Anne Caprara is an excellent voice for women in government, and she has done an outstanding job promoting them and giving them opportunities. She needs to demand that JB call for Welch to step down. Those texts between the Speaker and an intern are beyond the pale. Time to go.
- queenies - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:33 pm:
== The Speaker’s Office could have notified Benton they received a complaint, it had been founded, and that he was prohibited from having any further contact with the staff of the Office of the Speaker, Office of the Clerk, etc.
She did not do that.
The Tribune contacted her, and she could have told Rick Pearson if she was pressured by Welch to bury the complaint. She did not do that either.===
Why would it be on HER to do this? That’s the role of the Speaker, not the Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff cannot make a decision to withhold staff or order a member not to contact staff. That is the role of the Speaker.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 12:52 pm:
First point, this stuff is gross and it needs to stop.
Second point, Welch’s future in not up to the Governor. This is a matter for the HDem caucus and the voters of his district.
Third point, Moy did not offer any comment for Pearson’s story. Until we know whether she immediately informed Welch or not, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. But if I was a House Dem, that would be my first question of the Speaker.
This is on Benton, but Welch better have a good explanation for why no action, not even a phone call telling Benton to knock it off, was apparently taken. That’s unacceptable.
- AnonPls - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:15 pm:
== That does not, however, let Welch off the hook, as I thought I made clear. It’s up to the caucus (let’s be honest the women in the Democratic caucus) and Governor Pritzker (let’s be honest Anne Caprara) to decide whether they are willing to tolerate this kind of leadership from Welch.==
Bagger Vance doubling down their ignorance here. Everyone she be opposed to sexual harassment. Period. No one should tolerate this kind of behavior regardless of their gender. Stop holding women accountable for men’s actions.
- Retired School Board Member - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:20 pm:
In reading these comments, you can tell who has no notion of what it is like to be a woman working for powerful men who have literally less than zero compunction about professional retaliation against anyone who challenges them.
Meanwhile, this comment thread has shifted towards attacking Tiffany Moy, who referred the victim to an outside body where she was much more likely to get action, than keeping the focus on the MEN who have abused their power in the name of protecting the party while leaving collateral damage along the way. How many hard working, dedicated public servants have men like this driven from state government?
- Amurica - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:22 pm:
Can someone tell me why the female members of the house don’t stand together on this. Being a significant number in the house I would think they could make their voice heard on these ridiculous occurrences. This is not a party issue this is about a woman’s life.
- Anon - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:23 pm:
Today we learned the Speaker of the House had a cordial friendship with a 23ish year old former intern who he communicated with via an encrypted messaging service. He would respond to her social media posts with heart eye emojis and he asked her out to Gibsons for drinks. He then, despite having a tremendous amount of power and influence, failed to protect her from sexual harassment. I may or may not have the timeline correct, but come on….
- Anon - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:25 pm:
Amurica - I would also add, why arent the male members of the caucus taking a stand on this?
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:26 pm:
I don’t believe that Speaker Welch is the appropriate person to lead the Democratic caucus based off of his behavior in this matter.
If he is unable to overcome any personal bias he has towards favoring the harasser, the Democratic House Caucus should consider a Speaker who does not cover up and enable such allegations.
Inmate Mike Madigan and Speaker Welch have more in common than they should and Welch should be held accountable by the caucus for his failures to effectively address this situation.
===not even a phone call telling Benton to knock it off, was apparently taken===
Some idiot probably thinks a phone call creates evidence and was just hoping the victim would go away.
Illinois does not need Speaker Welch. The Democratic Party of Illinois does not need Speaker Welch. He has provided evidence that the State, State Party, and Caucus would be stronger without him.
- Remember the Alamo II - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:28 pm:
=== I know that Moy punted because she did not immediately take action to protect her staff ===
I thought that handling these types of complaints is exactly what the LIG is supposed to do. What are you even saying that Moy was supposed to do? Fire Benton? What are we even talking about here?
- Amurica - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:31 pm:
“Amurica - I would also add, why arent the male members of the caucus taking a stand on this?”
They should be but this example and history shows what most of the male leadership has done for women in these situations.
- Pause - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:38 pm:
Moy has been a consummate professional her entire career. Those trying to divert the blame away from the Speaker need to stop. Heavy is the head who wears the crown.
- Pumpsss - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:40 pm:
So you mean to tell me Welch sat on the Benton stuff for 3 years and then sexually harassed the SAME victim
You can’t make this (banned word) up.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:40 pm:
Kinda makes you wonder what other conversations Speaker Welch asked to take to signal. The heart eyes emoji thing makes a person want to vomit. I can imagine my daughter on the wrong end of that power imbalance. 100% disgusting behavior.
- my life - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:48 pm:
47th Ward- “This is on Benton, but Welch better have a good explanation for why no action, not even a phone call telling Benton to knock it off, was apparently taken. That’s unacceptable.”
He did talk to him. Per the article, 3 months after the staffer left, Benton shared meetings invites he was having with Welch, Moy and Hartman with her to torment her.
Speaker was aware, he did nothing other than “Ya know Harry, you cant do that.” Then Harry did it again. Now 300 knows they messed up. That’s why we didnt know anything for months til now.
- Jonah - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:53 pm:
Let’s not forget that three powerful women have left the House under Welch’s tenure - Tiffany Moy, Kylie Kelly and Jaclyn Driscoll. Doesn’t necessarily feel like a coincidence.
- Adams St Stan - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
Is it fair to assume this is linked to the female senior house staffers who all left at once a couple of years ago?
- Resign - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:01 pm:
Besides McCombie, there has been zero said from the women of the House. Thus, JB might have to jump in.
- A - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:03 pm:
@Jonah,
Don’t forget Kendra Piercy (legal) and Endra Curry (budget).
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:04 pm:
===this comment thread has shifted towards attacking Tiffany Moy===
I disagree. The main focus of most comments has been the person actually in charge.
- Tammy - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:04 pm:
The “me too” reckoning cost Lou Lang and Tim Mapes their careers, deservedly. Welch’s alleged conduct in this mess is, at the very least, on par with their’s. Let’s see if the legislators who were so quick to call for Lang and Mapes’ heads hold their current leader to the same standards.
- Think Again - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:06 pm:
=We are sickened and appalled by the events reported in this article=
Such bad news, and as a father of three daughters, including one who interned for Danny Davis. This type of damage will keep women out of IL politics - sadly this will perpetuate the old boy BS
- Remember the Alamo II - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:10 pm:
=== The “me too” reckoning cost Lou Lang and Tim Mapes their careers, deservedly ===
My understanding is that the complaint against Lou Lang was determined to be unfounded. If that is the case, how can you say he deserved his career to be ended.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:13 pm:
Thus, JB might have to jump in.
That ain’t happening…..anticipating the due process statement/press release
- Anon - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:24 pm:
Representative Crespo, the floor is yours.
- Capitol Caravan - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:35 pm:
=== Let’s not forget that three powerful women have left the House under Welch’s tenure - Tiffany Moy, Kylie Kelly and Jaclyn Driscoll. Doesn’t necessarily feel like a coincidence. ===
Don’t forget Mika Baugher.
- Bagger Vance - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:37 pm:
@Remember the Alamo -
The Legislative Inspector General can handle complaints from anywhere, including any employee. However, and this is a big however, all they can do is issue a report and make recommendations.
They cannot protect an employee from harassment or put an end to harassment immediately. Only the employer has that power and duty. And that responsibility rests primarily on the House of Representatives as an employer, just as with every other employer in Illinois.
The staffer put the complaint to her employer, the House of Representatives. I appreciate Rich’s point about this being an in-district staffer, but if the Speaker’s office does not believe they have authority to receive sexual harassment complaints from district office staff that’s news to me. And I hope they put that in writing to the woman immediately. “You’re barking up the wrong tree.” but If not Moy, who was she supposed to file a workplace harassment complaint with? Harry Benton?
We now know that atleast one other woman was harassed because of how The Speaker’s office handled that original complaint in 2023. The fact that Benton knew he had been reported and remained in his job probably emboldened him.
What happened to the Zero Tolerance Policy?
- SAP - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:42 pm:
==Can someone tell me why the female members of the house don’t stand together on this. Being a significant number in the house I would think they could make their voice heard on these ridiculous occurrences. This is not a party issue this is about a woman’s life.==
Female (Dem) members of the House stood together on this 5 years ago.
- Bagger Vance - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:48 pm:
If Mapes had still been Chief of Staff, failed to act on this harassment complaint and then a lawmaker harassed another woman, who here would be defending his actions?
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 2:58 pm:
What’s old is new again…and again.
- Paging Stephanie Kifowit - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:01 pm:
Remember when she ran against Welch for speaker? Pretty sure this would have unfolded differently if anyone had courage then to support real change.
- GrilledCheese - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:06 pm:
@Bagger Vance
I don’t get why you are still so hung up on this being Moy’s fault when the literal Speaker of the House knew and did nothing. The COS takes direction from the Speaker. The person in charge chose to do nothing and still Tiffany offered this person other options. To continue to put this blame on the COS when this is very clearly a larger issue is just again letting the men in Springfield not take full responsibility for what they have done. The COS is still employed by the Speaker. We have zero idea what the dynamic between the Speaker and COS was- nor do we know what Tiffany did or didn’t do outside of the limited information in the article. We should be talking about how the Speaker of the House did nothing because at the end of the day he is the one in charge.
- OneMan - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:30 pm:
The lessons not being learned here are tbh not surprising but very disappointing.
I think at this point Welsh would release the report, but that isn’t going to happen.
- Simon - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:32 pm:
== What happened to the Zero Tolerance Policy? ==
Some might say it ended when the House caucus overlooked accusations against Welch during the height of the #MeToo and elected him speaker.
- SAP - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:35 pm:
This problem being mostly Welch’s fault does not make Moy blameless. There is plenty of blame to go around.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:38 pm:
===that isn’t going to happen===
I don’t think that’s really up to him.
- Capitol Caravan - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:40 pm:
=== Some might say it ended when the House caucus overlooked accusations against Welch during the height of the #MeToo and elected him speaker. ===
I’ll never forget the sight of the group of female House Democrats who surrounded and questioned him on the convention center floor amid the revelation of the allegations in his own past, just before they agreed to help elect him speaker.
Depending on where this all goes, maybe we’ll finally learn what he said to persuade them.
- Amalia - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:45 pm:
It’s the crime, it’s the slow walk, and now we know it’s the posting of emojis. What the what Speaker?????
- Etown - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 3:47 pm:
Who will be first member of House Dem Caucus to call for Welch resignation or have I missed someone calling for it already?
I’m guessing it will be crickets
- OneOpinion - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 4:02 pm:
Must be a very dispiriting time for many women in and around the state capitol.
- Exhausted by her BS - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 4:16 pm:
@Paging Stephanie Kifowit
This comment is 10000% from Kifowit herself. Bringing up Stephanie Kifowit in a conversation that has nothing to do with her is the most Stephanie Kofowit thing to ever Stepbanie Kifowit
- Remember the Alamo II - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 4:36 pm:
=== Must be a very dispiriting time for many women in and around the state capitol. ===
When has it ever been a great time for women at the capitol?
- Frida's Boss - Friday, Jul 17, 26 @ 5:00 pm:
No one will call for the Speaker to go during the campaign. After election day, let’s see what happens.