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A walk down memory lane
Monday, Aug 3, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here and here if you need it. October of 2017, in the wake of a scandal and alleged sexual harassment cover-up in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office. Rauner refused to speak publicly about it…
* “Our culture encourages survivors to keep quiet instead of holding individuals accountable for their actions” […] “Anyone working for or on behalf of taxpayers should be held responsible for their actions, regardless of their title.” November of 2017…
* Also November of 2017…
* December of 2017…
* January of 2018…
Discuss.
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- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 12:23 pm:
Every day it gets a little bit worse for Welch.
- OneMan - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 12:26 pm:
But that is different, because it involved an unpopular governor, not the leadership of a progressive Democrat who is like progressive, sure he may have not handled it the best, but he is a progressive…
- Hank sauer - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 12:28 pm:
Good thing he is a strong Democrat
- here we go again - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 12:41 pm:
I’m shocked! . . . shocked! . . . to find shameless hypocrisy in Springfield!
- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 12:44 pm:
I’m done with him, I think you all should be too.
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:03 pm:
Karma. Always karma. Welch needs to be gone.
- Downstate - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:09 pm:
Besides his staff, is there anyone else running cover for him?
- ;) - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:14 pm:
The picture w Rep Carroll didn’t age well….Rep Carroll harassed and pressured a staffer on getting an abortion (if I recall correctly?). There is a very unsavory pattern here.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:24 pm:
It really seems like Chris Welch thinks this Chris Welch guy should resign.
And while that’s tongue and cheek, that’s still not bad advice. I don’t think this is going away. The overall position of the caucus remains wounded. This is the kind of issue that will unnecessarily stress and divide a caucus as representatives are asked to decide whether or not they really care about women being repeatedly harassed by elected officials who have their actions covered up by the House Speaker who then goes so far as to drop 7 figures to secure their election.
That campaign support reminds me a lot about that Paul Getty quote about how if you owe the bank a hundred million they have a problem.
By all means, lets spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to re-elect men who sexually harass their staff and show people in the work place pictures of women they claim to have slept with.
The Democrats have a super majority. But does Chris Welch think every seat needs to be won at any cost, monetary or moral?
What a bad time to be a Democrat in Illinois. Who is headlining the brunch this year? Can’t wait to hear what they have to think about this when they’re asked about it during media availability because Welch’s five D’s of media strategy aren’t making this story go away.
- thunderspirit - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:30 pm:
You’re not likely to outrun this one, Speaker Welch.
- Shy Guy - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:31 pm:
I think the Canty statement was a little too tepid. Anyone else feel the same? Anything less than calling for Welch to resign falls short of the mark.
- Demoralized - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:31 pm:
That’s a lot of receipts you just pulled out.
- Tax And Spend - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 1:54 pm:
Resign as Speaker….?
Or resign…resign….?
- Team Sleep - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 2:03 pm:
Oh man…that final picture…ouch…
- Capitol Caravan - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 2:43 pm:
Though he wasn’t yet speaker when he made those comments, that they now appear with his “speaker” handle makes them all the more cringe.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 2:59 pm:
@Capitol Caravan. Yes I did not understand why it said from he Speaker. Is that something that in normally done? I am not on X can you just go back and modify all your posts with a new heading and yet still have old post date ?
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 3:08 pm:
Honest question: is he not resigning as speaker for the benefit of the caucus or for his own benefit? I think the simplest way for the house dems to move past this is have him resign, and have a new speaker elected day 1 of veto session with the intent to shepherd a reform package. Then the new GA can decide if they want someone else to lead
- Capitol Caravan - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 3:38 pm:
=== @Capitol Caravan. Yes I did not understand why it said from he Speaker. Is that something that in normally done? I am not on X can you just go back and modify all your posts with a new heading and yet still have old post date ? ===
Others might correct me on this, but I believe he switched the handle when he became speaker and all the previous content was then simply moved into place under the new handle.
=== is he not resigning as speaker for the benefit of the caucus or for his own benefit? ===
I’ve no doubt he and others in the caucus will argue he is staying put for the benefit of the caucus (we can’t switch speakers during an election cycle, as that would be terrible for our electoral prospects!), but how on earth is this not hurting the Dems?
The House Republicans will beat this drum every day until he resigns or addresses every angle to the satisfaction of the Republicans, his own caucus members, the media and various pundits (something that is highly unlikely to occur).
- Remember the Alamo II - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 3:43 pm:
=== I think the simplest way for the house dems to move past this is have him resign ===
Oh yeah. Easy peasy.
- SAP - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 4:06 pm:
Or resign as head of the Democratic Party of Illinois?
- Trinity - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 4:40 pm:
This should have been a continued effort to protect women. Alaina Hampton and the women who recently stepped up are not the only ones. There are even more women who are too afraid to speak up. Who is helping them? How many sexual harassment and sex discrimination cases happened between then and now? So many question, not a lot of answers.
- Tough Decisions - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 4:54 pm:
Plenty of colleagues have expressed sexual harassment by current male members. Those members are very quiet during this time.
- Surge Voter - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 6:07 pm:
Why is anyone surprised at Welch behavior. Especially his caucus members. Cassidy was the only one to speak out at the time.
Why do they keep protecting him?
- Just a guy - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 8:38 am:
Surge Voter
I agree with you 100%, but the simple (albeit not only) answer is he controls the purse strings on folks’ reelection campaigns. I think it will be really interesting to see who elects to stand up to the Speaker and say “Enough.”
- Just Bill - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 9:03 am:
Mr. Word Salad.
- NorthSideNoMore - Tuesday, Aug 4, 26 @ 11:56 am:
Just a g @ 838….yep follow the money that will be the tell.