* 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.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:55 pm:
If it’s appropriate for Welsch to be removed, just like Madigan, it will take some people of courage in the Democrat caucus to make it happen.
- Google is Your Friend - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:55 pm:
==- SpiDem - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:30 pm:==
And there was an alleged victim who asked publicly not be used as a political football, yet…
- Time Will Tell - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:57 pm:
I give the Women’s Caucus kudos for trying to be supportive but this is nothing more than political cover rather than an honest assessment of the situation. This behavior has been documented for centuries, not only since 2017. If they really needed the Tribune to tell them it still exists they must be so out of touch they haven’t noticed women and men being treated horribly by men and women. This isn’t new and it hasn’t changed. It’s insulting they would suggest doing something other than what the victim wants and insulting to insinuate we need more laws to fix bad behavior.
If members were honest they would admit there is little that can be done when an elected official acts horribly. It’s hypocritical to act as if the process is the problem when it is really their inability to check their own behavior and that of their colleagues.
- 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.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:13 pm:
At a base level, for the Speaker of the House to be reaching out, privately, to set up a meeting…in a bar with a woman….is a serious level of obliviousness.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:17 pm:
The water keeps getting hotter for Welch.
- Frequent Commenter - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:17 pm:
Epic Fail - unfortunately it is still only rhetoric. Holding my breath until actual legislation is passed - and remember, that legislation will need 60 Democratic votes to get called/s
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:29 pm:
women of the caucus, take more action. I recall back in the day being in a restaurant & having a legislator make sleazy comments to me. Springfield had a reputation. it’s not gone away. Emoji man does not deserve anything other than ouster.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:46 pm:
===provides zero cover for Speaker Welch===
=== this is nothing more than political cover===
Quite divergent opinions there. lol
Sometimes, I think people read what they want to read.
- Juvenal - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:49 pm:
In his book “Living in Truth,” Czech playwrite, dissident, and future President Vaclav Havel talked about protest under Soviet rule. He noted how shopkeepers were required to post the Communist Party Flag in the upper right hand corner of their shop window or they could be reported.
As a small act of defiance, they would post the Communist Party Flag in the upper left hand corner of their shop window.
The Speaker issued talking points to his members yesterday. Those talking points offered no apology or sympathy to the victims.
The fact legislators are ignoring those talking points is an act of defiance that should be noted and celebrated.
If Democrats decide a leadership change is necessary, it’s not going to happen immediately or happen all at once. Building a bloc of Democrats who are committed to voting against Welch is a process that takes time, especially with the legislature not in session and the need to operate covertly.
- Google is Your Friend - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:54 pm:
==- Time Will Tell - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 1:57 pm:==
== they must be so out of touch==
Some of the Women’s Caucus, including ones who have been named and quoted on the record recently, have their own skeletons buried with gravestones labeled “bullying” and “discrimination.”
- TBD - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:56 pm:
I think the men of the caucus need to step up or step away. it’s not all men, but it sure as ….. always a man. This is not acceptable behavior. Let’s not mention spending in the election.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 2:57 pm:
I wasn’t positive so I looked up the “heart-eye” emoji, and the definition for it popped up as well.
My wife would skin me if I sent that to a woman, married or single.
- twowaystreet - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 3:19 pm:
In response, lawmakers propose ethics reforms that require more disclosures from lobbyists. /s
- SAP - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 3:27 pm:
I interpret MBC’s and IHDWC’s statements as tsk-tsking Speaker Welch for his behavior without actually calling for any actual accountability.
For what it’s worth, that’s not what I want to read. I just don’t predict any consequences for the Speaker beyond a couple more days of bad press.
- Tammy - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 3:38 pm:
There’s been lots of focus on the reporting and investigating process. But some things can’t be stopped by a good policy. The poor judgement of the Speaker of the House is one of those things.
Welch’s inappropriate contact with the staffer is bad enough in it of itself. But it’s truly gobsmacking to consider he interacted like that with someone who was already the victim of sexual harassment by one of his subordinates. I’m not sure you can fix that kind of personal recklessness with a better process.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 3:40 pm:
=== I just don’t predict any consequences===
I’m not going to disagree with you, but I do caution against hasty predictions.
Trust me on this. MJM was the most powerful politician in Illinois history and he was taken down.
You need 60 votes to elect a Speaker. Madigan couldn’t muster enough.
Patience.
Maybe nothing will happen, but it has to play out first.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 4:00 pm:
It seems like the best thing for Speaker Welch would be it turns out he just made a really, really incompetent decision to stick with Benton. That is a pretty bad position when you are hoping it was just incompetence and not anything worse.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 5:19 pm:
I don’t think heart-eye-emoji man was trying to protect Benton. I think he was trying to protect himself. Women of the caucus get busy.
- yinn - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 5:44 pm:
==Welch’s inappropriate contact with the staffer is bad enough…But it’s truly gobsmacking to consider he interacted like that with someone who was already the victim of sexual harassment==
Yes. I think often, our default is to assume a garden-variety, entitled sort of cluelessness in creepy behavior like this. But targeting a person perceived as vulnerable could be predation.
- Ohtani rules - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 5:52 pm:
Seriously, hasn’t everybody normal person, let alone the speaker of the illinois house, learned that nothing good comes of social media? Post parade pics and be done. Why are you acknowledging all of these lady posts? Why don’t our elected officials learn?
- Capitol Caravan - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 6:57 pm:
=== Welch’s inappropriate contact with the staffer is bad enough in it of itself. But it’s truly gobsmacking to consider he interacted like that with someone who was already the victim of sexual harassment by one of his subordinates. I’m not sure you can fix that kind of personal recklessness with a better process. ===
I’m gobsmacked by the number of pics he liked that were dredged up for the HRO ad. Here’s a guy who at that time was a lawyer, husband, father and state representative. Yet he’s hanging out on social media liking pics of hot young women posing in bikinis? That raises serious questions about his judgment.
I mean, social media ain’t Vegas (what happens there, stays there). It’s a public forum where most everybody sees everything and everything lives on forever.
- Been There - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 8:57 pm:
====I’m not going to disagree with you, but I do caution against hasty predictions====
I have had to remind a few people of this the last few days.
- Pause - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 9:14 pm:
What does the Women’s Caucus say about the Speakers conduct?Crickets…
- Taco Man - Wednesday, Jul 22, 26 @ 11:05 pm:
It’s interesting on Welch pushes the storyline with LIG “must release the report on Benton..” But he doesn’t address his actions, poor to the least, with a young former intern of his. If she was a victim at that point, why invite her to talk in private at a suburban bar? Why not in the open at his Springfield or district office with his aides/HR/legal staff member? Why was he so adamant about protecting Benton for many years afterward? The question is: Will the Women’s Caucus ask for his resignation?