Overview
- The Legislative Inspector General’s report made public on Friday found two founded incidents in which former Rep. Harry Benton violated Illinois sexual harassment law and described other allegations that were not sustained or were time-barred.
- One founded finding says Benton leaned over and touched a district office director at a Springfield bar, and the other describes a crude sexual advance toward a lobbyist that a witness corroborated.
- The documents show a staffer raised concerns to Speaker Chris Welch’s office in April 2023, Benton resigned on July 3 after Welch urged him to step down, and the inspector general completed his report on June 30.
- A lobbyist who complained has publicly challenged parts of the report and its investigatory recordkeeping, while LIG Michael McCuskey has defended his work; McCuskey originally sought discipline but later recommended no further action after Benton resigned.
- Lawmakers and advocates are calling for an independent review and changes to reporting and protections in the General Assembly, citing the report’s account of leadership decisions and the $1.4 million tied to Benton's 2024 re-election as context for broader accountability reforms.