Commission could release ethics report on former state Rep. Harry Benton

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- A major decision could come Thursday in the ethics investigation into Harry Benton.

The former state representative resigned earlier this month over conduct described as "outrageous and unethical."

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Calls for transparency are growing louder as the Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission decides whether or not to release a report detailing what led to the resignation of former state Representative Harry Benton.

If released, it would the first time officials would make public details of claims of misconduct.

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Benton, a Democrat who represented Plainfield and other southwest suburbs, resigned earlier this month and dropped his bid for re-election.

He had been under scrutiny since late February, when Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch said victims had come forward with complaints.

Earlier this month, Welch said an ethics investigation found conduct described as "outrageous, unethical, and unbecoming" of a member of the Illinois House.

For now, the legislative inspector general's report remains sealed unless the committee made up of four Republicans and four Democrats, vote to make the report public.

It's something Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said should happen.

"People should be held to a very high standard," Governor Pritzker said. "If you are going to serve in public office, elected office especially, but appointed office also, you have to live up to the standard that the public should expect from you, very high standard and people have fallen down on that job...But I have urged publicly the speaker to make sure that all of the information is out there and that he lets people know not only the things that were on paper, that were written or done back then, but also what he was thinking in that process and so that is what I think needs to happen now."

The calls for accountability don't stop with Benton.

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.

Welch told the paper, the staffer making the allegation asked him to wait. That's been disputed.

The Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. in Springfield.