Former Illinois Rep. Harry Benton Committed Two Acts of Sexual Harassment, Inspector General Finds
Bipartisan leaders and Gov. JB Pritzker pushed for release after the report led Benton to resign and was withheld for months.
- On Friday, The Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission released a report concluding that Representative Harry Benton violated state law through multiple acts of sexual harassment. Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey's findings prompted Benton's resignation earlier this month.
- According to the report, Benton made sexually explicit comments to a registered lobbyist at a bar, telling her, "You know, I might be a five, but I f*** like a ten." Investigators corroborated this incident and established a broader pattern of misconduct involving former staff.
- Despite warnings three years ago, Illinois House Speaker Welch continued supporting Benton, donating $1.4 million for his reelection in 2024. Welch stated the report "reaffirms confidence that our office acted responsibly" regarding the timeline.
- McCombie argued that if the Speaker had acted years ago, "we would not be here today." Gov. JB Pritzker expressed outrage, while Democratic Rep. Kelly Cassidy criticized the Speaker for "victim blaming" and failing to acknowledge shortcomings.
- Welch announced plans to "explore creating a centralized human resources office to assist all members as employers." The Legislative Inspector General recommended permanent restrictions on Benton, including removal from committee assignments and exclusion from House Democratic Caucus meetings.
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Watchdog finds ex-Illinois state Rep. Harry Benton violated law with sexual harassment, third victim revealed
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A legislative inspector general’s investigatory report released Friday found disgraced former state Rep. Harry Benton violated state law by engaging in sexual harassment, and it also revealed the existence of a third female victim, a staffer for…
Capitol Fa - Your Illinois News Radar » Legislative Ethics Commission still fine-tuning Benton report (Updated)CapitolFax.com
* Confirmed that this is being pushed back. Stay tuned… I have word that the LEC's redactions and upload of the Benton report/subsequent related documents are taking longer than expected. Times listed below are in the process of being pushed back. More to come… #twill https://t.co/3POwAhCElF — Sean Reed (@SeanReedPress) July 31, 2026 …Adding… Click here [...]
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The Center SquareInvestigation report into former rep's sexual harassment released
(The Center Square) – After months of investigation and leadership discussions, an investigation report on a former Illinois state lawmaker was released Friday, detailing sexual harrassment allegations.
Illinois ethics report on ex-Rep. Harry Benton made public after months under wraps
The Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission released the full report Friday that led to former state Rep. Harry Benton's resignation, after documents were kept from the public for months.
Watchdog finds ex-Illinois Rep. Harry Benton violated law with sexual harassment, third victim revealed – Chicago Tribune/Yahoo
But Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey's report still left unanswered key questions about how Democratic House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch handled allegations first raised by a Benton staffer three years ago. Welch spent $1.4 million the next year to get Benton, a Democrat from southwest suburban Plainfield, reelected.
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