* Subscribers know more. Click here for more background if you need it. Chair of the Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus, Rep. Mary Beth Canty…
“I am troubled by Speaker Welch’s conduct toward the staff member described in the Tribune’s reporting. Legislators – especially those in leadership – must hold themselves to the highest standard of professionalism. The Speaker’s reported conduct fell short of that standard. I appreciate Speaker Welch’s willingness to engage in open dialogue with legislators about his conduct, and I look forward to that dialogue being matched with action.”
* The Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus…
The Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus released the following statement in response to Chicago Tribune reporting detailing the conduct and investigation of former Rep. Harry Benton:
“The culture of harassment and inappropriate behavior in Springfield has been documented since at least 2017. Legislators, staffers, lobbyists, and advocates have bravely and repeatedly come forward to shine a light on this behavior and demand accountability. The Tribune’s reporting makes clear that despite some progress, issues still persist.
“When anyone reports harassment or abuse, leadership must act swiftly to investigate the matter and support the person who came forward. Simply referring a complainant to the Legislative Inspector General is insufficient — and if the person who reported the harassment chooses not to pursue that route, leadership must take further action to protect others in the workplace.
“We support the calls to release the Benton LIG report, redacted to protect those who came forward. But releasing one report is not enough. We must expand and strengthen how harassment is reported and investigated and how victims are supported, and we must begin that work immediately.
“Above all else, anyone working in and around Springfield must be confident that they will be believed, supported, and protected if they report harassing behavior by any legislator. The House Women’s Caucus is committed to doing the work necessary to make that a reality.”
- SpiDem - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:01 pm:
I think what is noteworthy in the statement is that it’s provides zero cover for Speaker Welch. Only Canty mentions his name, and certainly not an endorsement.
I suspect the Women’s caucus is very leery about where the story goes from here. If the HRO video posted below is any indication, I suspect we are closer to the beginning than the end of this saga.
- Pause - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:08 pm:
It is time for the women’s caucus to Lead.
- Simon - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:16 pm:
== since at least 2017 ==
Seems like the standards have loosened. Welch’s creepy interaction with Benton’s former staffer seem to be at least on par with, and arguably worse than, the accusations against Tim Mapes, Lou Lang and Ira Silverstein. They all lost their jobs eventually. I guess this isn’t over yet, but if Welch survives it’s will be hard to argue he didn’t get a tremendous break.
- Chicago Voter - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:24 pm:
=if Welch survives this it will be hard to argue he didn’t get a tremendous break=
Some might argue Welch got a tremendous break when he was elected Speaker the first time considering rumors about his alleged previous behavior with women.
- SpiDem - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:30 pm:
@Chicago Voter. They we a lot more than rumors. There were police reports, lawsuits, and restraining orders if I recall correctly.
- New Day - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:31 pm:
“I suspect we are closer to the beginning than the end of this saga.” Exactly right.
- Epic Fail - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
Fun to see when the supermajority cares about ethics reforms and when they don’t….like almost all of the time except now.