Commission to release report into sexual harassment allegations against former Rep. Harry Benton
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- The Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission on Thursday unanimously voted to release a report conducted by the inspector general into sexual harassment allegations against former state Rep. Harry Benton, nearly three weeks after he resigned from office.
The report is expected to remain confidential until July 31 to allow both Benton and the person who filed the complaint to review it before its release.
The vote comes amid ongoing scrutiny surrounding the allegations and questions about how they were handled.
"There is so much controversy. There are so many questions that have yet to be answered," ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington said.
Commission members are prohibited from publicly discussing their proceedings.
In a statement, Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, who chairs the bipartisan, bicameral committee, said the parties involved would have an opportunity to review the report before it is made public.
"To protect the privacy of those involved in this case, the respondent and complainant will be given the opportunity to review the report for potential redactions, which the commission will review," Keicher said.
The controversy has also drawn criticism of House Speaker Chris Welch over his office's handling of the allegations after they were brought to him by a now-former Benton staffer three years ago.
Gov. JB Pritzker addressed the issue Wednesday.
"The speaker has a responsibility to be utterly and completely transparent about the situation," Pritzker said.
Welch said in a statement Thursday that the report "provides a full and accurate account of the steps my office took to support those who came forward."
He also called the commission's action "a positive step for accountability and transparency."
"Today's vote is a positive step for accountability and transparency, and I look forward to the full report being released this month," Welch said.
ABC7 reached out to Benton for comment but had not received a response.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Welch knew about sexual harassment allegations against Benton three years ago, but waited three months to address them while helping to fund his re-election in 2024.
Keicher released the following statement: "After considering the matter before us for case number 26-005 concerning the complaint against former Rep. Harry Benton, we voted to publish the report pursuant to our statutory obligations."
"To protect the privacy of those involved in this case, the respondent and complainant will be given the opportunity to review the report for potential redactions, which the Commission will review."
