LIG McCuskey is out (Updated x4)
Tuesday, Sep 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Background is here if you need it. Press release…
Upon receiving notification of an upcoming vacancy of the position of Legislative Inspector General, received on August 31, 2026, the Legislative Ethics Commission has commenced the process for filling that vacancy pursuant to its statutory obligations. Rep. Jeff Keicher, Chair of the Legislative Ethics Commission, and all members of the Commission want to assure the public of the Commission’s commitment to filling the position in a timely manner. The Commission considers the Legislative Inspector General to be a vital position that should be filled as expeditiously as possible to ensure the integrity of the Office and to preserve the citizens’ trust in the functions and operations of the legislative branch of government for which the LIG has jurisdiction.
Per 5 ILCS 430/25-10(b-5), the Commission will be posting the LIG vacancy notice on its website on September 8, 2026. Additionally, the position will be posted on Indeed.com and the Legal Job Board Network, which includes the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and over 80 additional bar associations and career centers. The application deadline is October 31, 2026, but is subject to an extension if needed.
The vacancy notice is available for viewing or download at https://www.ilga.gov/documents/Commission/LEC/LIG_Vacancy.pdf
…Adding… It’s not clear whether McCuskey resigned or was removed. Asked which it was, Legislative Ethics Commission Chair Rep. Jeff Keicher said, “The statement of the LEC is all that we are saying at this time.”
…Adding… Capitol News Illinois’ Brenden Moore…
…Adding… House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
“This is an opportunity to strengthen the office of the LIG, to fix the culture of harassment apparent within the House majority, and update Illinois’ ethics laws.
“As the internal watchdog of the legislative branch, the LIG must have the tools and authority to be effective. The legislature should move quickly to strengthen anti-corruption safeguards and increase the jurisdiction and authority of the office of the LIG. House Republicans have legislation ready that should be taken up during the veto session.
“Additionally, there must be a thorough search and transparent vetting process for the next inspector general, as outlined in state law.”
…Adding… Rep. Mary Beth Canty…
State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights), chair of the Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus, released the following statement responding to the news that Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey has resigned:
“LIG McCuskey’s resignation is significant, but it does not end the culture of harassment that has persisted in Springfield for far too long. We must strengthen the laws that guard against harassment, build a process that survivors can trust, and show the leadership required to earn the public’s confidence. The work is not finished.”
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 12:15 pm:
Speaker Welch should take some notes. I don’t think he’ll be running the clock out on this one, he already had to skip Governor’s Day. Is he planning on being at the fund raising Gala this week?
I am certain there are a lot of Democratic Donors who would like to know why significant sums of campaign dollars were directed to a person who had a history of sexually harassing his staff.
- Who else - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 12:33 pm:
Bye. And bye to anyone who claims this this move is the solution to the current and actively raging dumpster fire of accountability (or the lack of it.)
To Candy’s point, there were a lot of bad choices made that had nothing to do with the LIGs bad choices.
- hmmm - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 12:44 pm:
glad to see he gone
- LizPhairTax - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 1:04 pm:
Guy thought he was horse manure, turned out to be fly poop.
- Blazzzer - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 1:09 pm:
So is his last day 9/8 or 9/30? He just can’t stop talking…
- low level - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 1:13 pm:
Dude is definitely weird…
- SAP - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 1:29 pm:
Rep. Canty chirps a lot for someone so quiet about Speaker Welch.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 1:51 pm:
===Rep. Canty chirps a lot for someone so quiet about Speaker Welch. ===
Wednesday, November 4th, isn’t even two months away.
- Simon - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
Hopefully, before he goes, the LEC gets a written explanation from McCuskey for the “unfounded” ruling in the Briel case. I suspect it has something to do with him not having jurisdiction over campaigns. But that wouldn’t exactly jibe with Laura Jackson’s claim that the unfounded ruling had something to do with her being an “at will” employee. Of course, “at will” employees are legally protected from sexual harassment just like everybody else. So, that didn’t seem to make sense.
Again, an explanation is in order.
- Blazzzer - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 2:08 pm:
@Simon
The IL GA is not an employer under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Thus, employees of the General Assembly aren’t protected by the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination and harassment.
The flaws are by design.
- Billy the Kid - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 2:35 pm:
Spkr Welch: “Does that mean I’m off the hook?” I hope so!”
- Old Guy - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 3:55 pm:
McCuskey is a great guy, Lawyer and Judge. This incident just shows once again what a cesspool the LIG position, authority, and responsibility is.
- One Liner - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 3:56 pm:
The first job of the next LIS Inspector General ought to be hiring a firm to perform an independent, outside review of every sexual harassment case under McCuskey’s tenure.
Enough questions have been raised about his process to warrant a full and speedy independent review.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 4:42 pm:
- This incident just shows once again what a cesspool the LIG position, authority, and responsibility is. -
So it’s the position’s fault? That’s a new one on me.
- Bob - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 5:14 pm:
—Hopefully, before he goes, the LEC gets a written explanation from McCuskey for the “unfounded” ruling in the Briel case. I suspect it has something to do with him not having jurisdiction over campaigns. But that wouldn’t exactly jibe with Laura Jackson’s claim that the unfounded ruling had something to do with her being an “at will” employee. Of course, “at will” employees are legally protected from sexual harassment just like everybody else. So, that didn’t seem to make sense.—
It isn’t hard to read the law. He doesn’t have jurisdiction over anything that was alleged in the Laura Jackson interview before Briel was sworn in to the House. All of the campaign allegations (which were most of the things talked about in that weird interview from the Bishop campaign) are outside of his jurisdiction.
- Ethics Police - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 7:55 pm:
=McCuskey is a great guy, Lawyer and Judge. This incident just shows once again what a cesspool the LIG position, authority, and responsibility is.=
A great lawyer & Judge would know to take notes, not to disclose names of other victims when conducting interviews and would never bring up family members when discussing age (or anything). Back in the day or the height of his career, he may have been great, but at the end of his career as LIG he failed. I mean no skilled lawyer would have thought it was a good idea to include the investigator’s comment about he knew Benton was lying, a personal opinion, without facts to back up that comment.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 8:41 pm:
====All of the campaign allegations===
But then she worked for Briel in the district office
- Billy Bob - Tuesday, Sep 8, 26 @ 11:00 pm:
—But then she worked for Briel in the district office—
For two months…which is probably what he investigated. Hard to substantiate drugs and weird words without witnesses or a paper trail (both of which he had in the Benton case.)
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 9, 26 @ 1:02 am:
===Hard to===
Keep on whistlin