Speaker Welch to Rep. Harry Benton: Resign or be expelled
[July 02, 2026]
By Brenden Moore
SPRINGFIELD — After months of silence, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel
“Chris” Welch on Wednesday called for embattled Rep. Harry Benton to
resign and promised to initiate expulsion proceedings against the
Plainfield Democrat if he doesn’t.
Welch’s demand comes five months after he kicked Benton out of the
Democratic caucus and stripped him of his committee assignments with no
public explanation. Capitol News Illinois later confirmed that
allegations of sexual harassment were made against Benton, a two-term
legislator who represents a southwest suburban Chicago swing district,
and that the matter had been referred to the Legislative Inspector
General’s office.
“The Legislative Inspector General’s findings reveal clear patterns of
conduct by Representative Benton that are outrageous, unethical, and
unbecoming of a member of the Illinois House of Representatives,” Welch
said in a statement, adding that Benton’s exile from the caucus — at LIG
Mike McCuskey’s recommendation — “will remain in place permanently.”
Benton did not immediately return requests for comment.
McCuskey told Capitol News Illinois that he completed his investigation
and delivered his findings to Welch’s office Wednesday afternoon. Welch
and Benton now have 20 days to respond in writing to the LIG. Welch’s
response would include details of any corrective or disciplinary action
imposed. If McCuskey determines the action to be “appropriate and
adequate,” he must file a report with the Legislative Ethics Commission
within 30 days detailing why he isn’t filing a complaint. The case would
then be closed.
McCuskey’s report, which would likely include details of the alleged
misconduct and any recommendations for corrective or disciplinary
action, was delivered to Welch and Benton. But, at least for now, is not
public.
Only the Legislative Ethics Commission, an eight-member board comprised
of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans from both legislative
chambers, can make it so. And that’s only do in cases resulting in at
least a three-day suspension, termination or as part of the public
record of a disciplinary hearing held by the LEC. It’s unclear if
Benton’s case falls under any of those categories. The last time a
report was made public was 2020.
The Benton situation has been a mystery, with his colleagues,
legislative staff and lobbyists in the Capitol as well as his
constituents back home left largely in the dark.
Welch told reporters when pressed in April and again in his statement on
Wednesday that he refrained from commenting on the allegations “to
protect the privacy of those who came forward, preserve the integrity of
the investigation, respect due process, and comply with the guidance and
legal requirements established in our ethics procedures.”
Benton, who continued to show up for work in the Capitol throughout the
spring, has thus far declined to address his exile and the investigation
opened into his alleged conduct.
In a statement, the Illinois House Republican Organization called Benton
“a disgrace.”
“One way or another, he won’t be a state representative come January,”
the caucus said in a statement. “He can leave through the front door, or
the voters can throw him out in November.”
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Rep. Harry Benton takes a picture during a joint session of the
Illinois House in May 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry
Nowicki)
Benton, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary in March, faces a
rematch against Republican Gabby Shannahan in November. The far
southwest suburban House district is one of the most competitive in the
state, with Benton defeating Shannahan by about 4.5 percentage points in
2024.
Shannahan did not call for Benton to resign or drop out, but noted in a
statement that voters have “a better choice” in November.
“I’ll always be honest,” she said. “I’ll always put the people of this
district first. And I’ll show up every single day to work for lower
taxes, safer communities, and a government worthy of your trust.”
If Benton resigns and withdraws his name from the November ballot, the
Democratic Party chairs in Kendall and Will counties would select the
person who would complete his term and replace him on the ballot. The
latter must be done no later than August 20, the day prior to the
Illinois State Board of Elections’ certification of the general election
ballot.
It would take a two-thirds vote of the full House to expel Benton, or 79
affirmative votes. Democrats have a 78-40 advantage over Republicans in
the chamber, though Benton and Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, are
not members of the supermajority caucus.
The last House member to be expelled was Rep. Derrick Smith, D-Chicago,
in 2012. It came after Smith was accused of taking a $7,000 cash bribe.
He later returned to the House after winning reelection but was
automatically removed when he was convicted of bribery in 2014.
The Illinois House is not scheduled to return to Springfield until
November.
Welch, who succeeded now incarcerated Michael Madigan as speaker in
2021, has not been afraid to wield the power of his gavel against his
own members.
Former state Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, was stripped of her
leadership position and banned from caucus meetings in 2023 for alleged
poor treatment of staff and her colleagues. The speaker later backed a
successful primary challenge to Flowers.
And Crespo was stripped of his committee chairmanships and expelled from
the caucus for working on a budget plan independent of and unauthorized
by House Democratic leadership. Welch later told Capitol News Illinois
that Crespo needed to “apologize” before he lets him back into the
caucus. The two are not on speaking terms.
Capitol News Illinois is
a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government
coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily
by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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