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CHICAGO - Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch says he will seek to remove Rep. Harry Benton from the General Assembly if Benton does not resign following an ethics investigation into his conduct.
Will Rep. Harry Benton resign?
The backstory:
Welch said his office received reports about Benton's conduct earlier this year and immediately notified the House Chief Ethics Officer.
The matter was then referred to the Legislative Inspector General, who conducted what Welch described as a "thorough, fair, and independent investigation."
According to a report, the investigation involved sexual harassment allegations against Benton.
State Rep. Harry Benton speaks on the House floor at the Illinois State Capitol, May 29, 2025, in Springfield, Illinois. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Welch said the inspector general's investigation is now complete and found "clear patterns of conduct" by Benton that are "outrageous, unethical, and unbecoming of a member of the Illinois House of Representatives."
Welch said Benton had already been removed from the House Democratic Caucus in February and stripped of support from the Speaker's Office. He said those actions will now remain permanent at the recommendation of the Legislative Inspector General.
Welch also said he spoke directly with Benton on Wednesday and demanded his immediate resignation.
"If he does not resign, we will initiate the process of expelling him from the House," Welch said in a statement.
What they're saying:
Benton has not yet publicly responded to the investigative findings or Welch's statement.
The Source: The information in this story came from a statement issued by Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch and a report by Capitol News Illinois.