Illinois House Speaker Welch expresses regret over handling of former Rep. Benton's harassment case
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch publicly acknowledged missteps in his handling of sexual harassment allegations against former state Rep. Harry Benton, saying he did not do enough to protect women and calling the episode a "system failure" that demands reform.
Welch's comments come days after the release of a report detailing Benton's behavior and the events that led to his resignation. In an interview with ABC7, Welch adopted a more apologetic tone than in previous public statements, as questions continue to swirl about whether he should remain Speaker.
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Welch said he first learned in 2023 of sexual harassment complaints raised by a young woman who worked for Benton
"I was appalled by it. I was appalled by it," Welch said when asked about his initial reaction. "But what's really important here is that we put first and foremost the survivor's wishes."
Welch said the woman did not want to file a formal complaint, and Benton "vehemently denied" the allegations. Welch said Benton was entitled to due process, and no action was taken at the time.
Welch was pressed on political support Benton later received.
"But was he entitled to 1.4 million dollars of support from you to get reelected?" ABC7 asked.
Welch responded, "At that point, with the information before me, we were supporting a member who had allies supporting his re-election. Would I do that today, knowing what I know now? Of course not. Hindsight is 20/20... I understand the concern. I think that's a valid concern of many," Welch said. "With the information before me at the time, I literally was leaning on a member being entitled to due process."
Welch said that in hindsight he would have acted differently.
Democratic political strategist Alaina Hampton, who raised sexual harassment concerns in former Speaker Mike Madigan's political organization eight years ago, said Welch's actions sent a damaging message.
"I think what it says to victims of sexual harassment is that making sure a Democratic legislator is reelected is more important than them," she said.
Hampton, who wrote a Chicago Tribune op-ed calling for Welch to resign or be replaced, questioned his ability to continue leading the House.
"On this specific issue? I would say zero," she said. "But I also felt like he shouldn't have been elevated to this role from the start."
Welch also addressed criticism over his past social media activity, apologizing for liking and posting heart emojis on images of women in swimsuits on his professional Instagram page. He said the posts were mostly from 2018 and 2019. "At the end of the day, I'm going to continue to own my own behavior. I've already said that I own it. I'm going to change that behavior. I've already changed that behavior," he said.
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On Tuesday, Welch sent a memo to Democratic caucus members announcing the creation of a special working group to examine workplace culture in Springfield and recommend changes in response to issues highlighted by the Benton case. "Members have raised issues with both bullying, hostile work environment, and so I believe a working group like this could dig deeply into a lot of these issues," he said.
Welch said he hopes the effort will help improve the culture in the Capitol. With some public calls for his resignation mounting, he said his future depends on House members who will vote on the next Speaker in December.
"I serve at the pleasure of the caucus," he said. "It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role that I never had on my bingo card."
Welch told members of the Democratic caucus last night, after arranging interviews with reporters, that he is forming a workplace culture and accountability working group to recommend changes aimed at addressing problems exposed by the Benton case. Hampton said that despite reforms enacted after Welch became Speaker, "it's clear women are not any safer."
