Sources: Welch Waited Two Weeks Before Reporting Benton to LIG
House Speaker Chris Welch following Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address in February. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
On an unseasonably warm and stormy February day in Springfield, House Speaker Chris Welch and his top staff were informed that then-Rep. Harry Benton had sexually harassed a lobbyist at a Chicago bar at a fundraiser the week before.
Multiple sources tell The Illinoize Welch was initially told about Benton’s incident with the lobbyist February 19, a Thursday “getaway” day in Springfield.
Welch proceeded to remove Benton from the Democratic caucus on the following Monday, February 23.
But, sources say, it took Welch more than two weeks from being notified of the incident to filing a complaint with the Legislative Inspector General, which wasn’t filed until early March.
Welch’s spokesperson didn’t return a message from The Illinoize. Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey declined comment before the full Benton report is released later this week.
But sources indicate the report was filed with the LIG on either March 3 or 4.
“What the hell was he waiting for?” said one top Democratic insider. “Could they not find the complaint form on Google? They didn’t need to do an investigation, they needed to send the damn complaint. This is absurd.”
In conversations with numerous House Democrats Monday and Tuesday, it appears Welch’s delay in reporting the latest accusation against Benton to the LIG is causing greater concerned for the already embattled Speaker.
Some Democrats speculated Welch is “battening down the hatches” with key staff and supporters as members inside his caucus grow increasingly uncomfortable with Welch’s actions, and inactions, dating back to 2023 accusations against Benton and further.
“At this point, the Speaker needs to be hoping for some exculpatory evidence in that LIG report,” one Democrat said. “Or else this could get bad in a hurry.”
