* Let’s circle back to this Politico interview of House Speaker Welch…
Playbook: Critics also have concerns about allegations from before you became speaker, including being sued twice for unwanted advances. Why should voters view those situations differently?
Welch: “Those issues have been without merit. Cases have been brought against me that have been dismissed because they were without merit, and I have never shied away from talking about those issues.
Those two suits weren’t dismissed for lack of merit. They were dropped by the plaintiffs for different reasons. One said she ran out of money, the other dropped her suit two months after settlement talks began.
* Wednesday Journal last week…
Welch reportedly became angry after two sisters who worked in senior positions at Proviso West high school rebuffed his attempts to hug them at a football game. He responded with an angry text.
Alexis Wallace, the former principal at Proviso West before Welch had her transferred, sat down with the Forest Leaves in March 2012 to discuss her experience with Welch as D209 board president and a threatening text she’d received from him.
Wallace said she saved the text, making certain her phone was charged even after she got a new phone. The saved text confirms allegations made by Wallace’s sister, Dylester Palm, a dean at Proviso West, in her federal lawsuit against Welch for complaints similar to Wallace’s. (Palm later dropped the lawsuit, citing her inability to pay for the cost of legal representation.)
Wallace held out her old Blackberry for the reporter to photograph. The phone number on the text was the same cell number that Welch had listed on his campaign filing documents.
“I allowed them to be employed!” Welch’s text read. “And I’m the board president! Period! End of conversation. Things better change now. I won’t tolerate disresepect.”
Welch then left no doubt that he saw himself as the primary authority at D209.
“I had a direct hand in helping them b here including u. No one else,” he said. “At the minimum, I deserve respect.”
More…
* And then there was this EEOC complaint filed against the district…
But that case was more than a little muddy. From the Tribune…
Welch asked for the order of protection to be thrown out and strenuously denied those allegations. He said it Johnson was harassing him, records show.
She “continued to aggressively pursue Welch through various forms of communication” after the breakup, Welch alleged.
And after Johnson was transferred to a different department and began to fear she would be fired, she sent him a text reading: “listen mother f—–! I if I get fired or demoted you getting your a– kicked and I’m going to the EEOC and tell them that you sexually harassed me!”
A copy of that text is filed in the court record.
Welch also produced texts that he believed to be from Johnson dating to April 2010, reading “lol you’re such a f– … go suck a d— loser” and “now there is an order protection that has been placed against you. Did you know that?”
Court records show Welch filed a report against Johnson with Hillside Police for telephone harassment, but he didn’t sign a complaint.
A few days later, Welch alleged, Johnson showed up at a school board meeting to hand Welch a copy of the federal lawsuit. Welch said in a filing that it was an effort to embarrass him, and proof that she was not in fact fearful of him.
After Welch raised those allegations in court, a judge dismissed the order of protection.
Johnson’s federal suit also was short-lived. Records indicate settlement talks began two months after it was filed. Johnson moved to dismiss the case shortly afterward. It’s unclear whether the Proviso school board settled the case.
* Either way, the cases were not “dismissed because they were without merit,” as Speaker Welch claimed to Politico. He undoubtedly believed they were without merit. But they were withdrawn by the plaintiffs.
- Amalia - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 12:40 pm:
I don’t know how the women of the Dem caucus can stop themselves from strong action reading these facts. they are not new. Act.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 12:46 pm:
The merit was never decided…words matter?
- Irreverent - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 12:53 pm:
Chris, if you were capable of deciding what claims were without merit, you wouldn’t be in this position. You have less than zero credibility on this issue. Shut up and go away.
- low level - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
I don’t think it will be a gradual buildup announcing they will not vote for him for Speaker like it was with the 19 in 2020 with Madigan but I do think next January will be interesting and that Welch will ultimately be shown the door.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
Legal merit is decided by the court, not the accused.
- Best in the world - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:01 pm:
I find Ms. Johnson charming and direct. Good for her for standing up for herself. It seems like her methods are how you get a message across to the Speaker. I hope he learns that it doesn’t have to get that far.
- Scoot - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:01 pm:
“I deserve respect!” He definitely likes power and holding it over people. In my opinion find someone else to be speaker.
- Irreverent - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:03 pm:
@Amalia
Your hypocritical finger-wagging means less than nothing.
- Been There - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:22 pm:
==== I don’t think it will be a gradual buildup announcing they will not vote for him for Speaker like it was with the 19 in 2020 with Madigan====
I wouldn’t doubt there are already 19 that won’t vote for him.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:25 pm:
I don’t think anything will happen until January and it is a long time until January. And as with lots of things in Springfield it probably will come down to self interest. Are the Democrats better off with him or without him.
- Irreverent - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:25 pm:
Al Franken left the US Senate over less than this.
- Billy the Kid - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:26 pm:
I believe the HDem female members-with the exception of Rep. Cassidy- are in an awkward position, as they knew of the “allegations” of Mr. Welch. However, the election of the speakership was held during a rushed COVID-era time period at the BoS Center, and they needed to choose a Speaker. Are there still concerns in 2026? It’s quite evident, yes. Mr. Welch has/had personal baggage, and the HDems took the risk. Evidently, the proof is in the pudding. It is evident that sooner or later his flaws would not hold. It’s a character deficiency in Mr. Welch. While the focus is on “how he handled” Mr. Benton’s actions, they are overlooking Mr. Welch’s personal flaws. Clearly, Mr. Welch should not hold this important and powerful position. He is a weak and failed leader.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:31 pm:
People, one thing I really hate in situations like this are bold uninformed predictions. Some comments haven’t made it through the screens because of this.
Also, “resign now” is not exactly contributing to the discussion.
If you gotta do something like that, go somewhere else.
- JS Mill - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:34 pm:
=“I allowed them to be employed!” Welch’s text read. “And I’m the board president! Period! End of conversation. Things better change now. I won’t tolerate disresepect.”=
First, no single board member can hire anyone. Ever. Second, outside of the board meeting, unless authorized by a vote of the majority of the board (4 or more), no member has any authority outside the board meeting. There is certainly perceived power and Napoleon Welch sure liked to use it. What a small person he is.
- Shytown - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:41 pm:
I think everything taken in its totality forces the question - which fork in the road do members want to take and what message are they sending once they decide. None of this is a good look for the Dems IMO.
- Amalia - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:45 pm:
I’m a Democrat who is deeply angry at how the staffer was treated, how long it has taken to deal with it, and how much was ignored with the Speaker when he was elected. I hope that the group looking at the process/problems acts with speed.
- Leslie K - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:47 pm:
Amalia @ 1:45pm
+1
- Frequent Commenter - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
Apologies Rich - to your point, I was more responding to the “resign now” posters offering a counter perspective as to why that might not happen.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
Amalia is indeed a Democrat. I should’ve deleted that comment, but Irreverent deserves whatever s/he gets from here on out.
If you cannot see that some folks at the top are deliberately trying to divide y’all, then maybe go somewhere else.
- Operation Tug - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 1:59 pm:
The democrats can fire Welch now, or they can deal with the campaign issue in all their tier 1 races for the next few months. Either works for me.
- Wiley - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:00 pm:
Combine these past allegations with Welch’s laissez-faire handling of the Benton complaint and add his inappropriate emoji/Signal/Gibson’s interaction with Benton’s victim and we are left with a picture of someone who either doesn’t really know what sexual harassment is or doesn’t care when it happens.
I’m not sure that can be remedied with a new law, more training or improved procedures.
- Billy the Kid - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:04 pm:
In agreement with Amalia. Additionally, what I don’t understand is this: What is the real motive for Mr. Welch pouring an astounding $1.4 million into Mr. Benton’s re-election? Is there more to the story than the absurd reticence that “due to unions” may not lend support to the caucus? Mr. Welch knows full well that Mr. Benton had no major clout. His reasoning does not stand. Is related to the victim: “I need to support Mr. Benton or he may speak out?” Did the victim mention anything to Mr. Welch? Just a thought.
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:06 pm:
Legal merit is decided by evaluating the substance, core facts, and applicable laws of a case, rather than its procedural technicalities.
- Frequent Commenter - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:11 pm:
To Operation Tug - I am not aware of
to Operation Tug - is there a way to remove a sitting caucus leader? I am not sure the caucus can “Fire” him. Only in January can they decide to not Vote for him. Not sure there are any Tier 1 races the majority party is worried about losing. He might even up the investment in some races to get some caucus insurance votes!
- Sue - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:18 pm:
Understand the D’s were desperate to turn the page on Madigan/ but how is it Welch was elevated with what seems to be no understanding of his baggage- this is becoming close to Eric Swalwell
- Operation Tug - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:28 pm:
Oh, and I forgot, Welch’s $150mil payoff to Chicago schools to strong arm his caucus? Yeah, we’re gonna use that in the suburbs too.
He’s running scared and only making it worse.
- King Louis XVI - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:38 pm:
Boy, with the trade unions tossed under the bus, the $150 million magic beans CPS bailout plan, and the lawsuits “no merit” claim, it’s “Step on a Rake Week” for Welch’s communications strategy. Oof.
- Pumpsss - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:42 pm:
As evidenced in the case with Ms. Johnson and in the police report filed by another ex-girlfriend, whatever you do, don’t call Chris Welch a “loser.”
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:47 pm:
===Yeah, we’re gonna use that in the suburbs too===
I believe you, but with what money? McCombie and HRO reported about $1.6 million or so cash on hand and have raised less than $100K since then.
- Amalia - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 2:58 pm:
who is trying to divide us? the Speaker and his supporters?
- Dotnonymous x - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 3:28 pm:
The charges against me are totally without merit, therefore I’m dismissing this case forthwith… with prejudice…Case dismissed.
I wish I’d known this terrific strategy at my pot trial.
- SAP - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 3:53 pm:
I understand calling out Democratic Caucus women on staying silent on Welch, but, when running a standard goose/gander analysis, that same sauce should work equally well for the men of the Dem Caucus. If the R’s had any money, they have the message to make a lot of incumbents super-uncomfortable.
- JB13 - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 3:57 pm:
“without merit”
The Speaker is a lawyer. His wife is a judge.
He knows better. But he doesn’t think *we* do.
Tick tock.
- low level - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 4:01 pm:
If the election for Speaker were held right now, how many votes would Welch receive?
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 4:15 pm:
=== If the R’s had any money===
And there lies the rub.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Aug 7, 26 @ 4:23 pm:
This isn’t going away.
Big announcement that United States Senator Elizabeth Warren will be headlining the brunch in a couple of weeks. I don’t think that it is reasonable to believe that Chris Welch’s poor decision making regarding the investigation and covering of sexual harassment and his history of sexually harassing women in the work place by threatening their jobs if they don’t enthusiastically embrace him upon sight is going to stop being something that journalists are curious about.
Does the Democratic Party really want all of the media around Elizabeth Warren to be about Elizabeth Warren’s thoughts on Chris Welch’s approach to supporting and enabling the sexual harassment of women in the State Capitol? Never mind what Welch himself has been up to which is only relevant today because of his inability to lead with integrity and his decisions to protect creeps and pests above the staff that they seek to exploit.
I look forward to her comments. The Senator has a way with words.
Prudent politicians would understand that there’s a reasonable decision to make here, and it isn’t hoping that we’ll all forget about this over the weekend.