‘I’m embarrassed by it’: Speaker Welch apologizes for interactions with
former staffer
[August 06, 2026]
By Ben Szalinski
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is
apologizing for his interactions with a former staff member who brought
a sexual harassment complaint against ex-Rep. Harry Benton to his
office.
Welch told Capitol News Illinois it wasn’t until he read a Chicago
Tribune article last month that he realized his actions — including
reacting to the former staffer’s Instagram photos with heart eyes and
inviting her to a bar through an encrypted messaging app — made her feel
uncomfortable.
“When I read that, I felt terrible,” Welch, a Hillside Democrat, said.
“That certainly was not my intent, but I made her feel uncomfortable,
and I have to own that. I regret that and I’m embarrassed by it, and I
apologize for it. And I think that’s taking responsibility.”
Welch said he’s changed his social media behavior since the Chicago
Tribune’s July 17 report, which focused heavily on the fact that the
staffer initially complained about Benton’s actions toward her in 2023.
The staffer, who once served as an intern in Welch’s office, told the
paper she had several interactions with the speaker that made her
“uncomfortable” after she left Benton’s staff. When she asked him for
career advice, for example, he reportedly asked her to move a text
conversation to the private messaging app Signal, where messages
disappear after a period of time, and meet her at a bar to discuss her
request.
That Tribune report put even more pressure on Welch, who was already
facing questions for his handling of sexual harassment claims against
Benton.
It also wasn’t the first time Welch faced questions about his behavior.
He was accused of domestic violence in 2002, though never charged. Years
later as a school board member in Proviso Township, he was accused in a
lawsuit of sexually harassing two school employees, though it was also
dismissed.
A group of Democratic women questioned Welch about the 2002 incident in
a huddle on the House floor in January 2021 before committing to
supporting him as speaker.
Welch’s own interactions were only part of a heavily scrutinized series
of events over the last month involving Benton, the former staffer, and
a legislative inspector general report that was made public last week.
Handling complaints
The LIG report confirmed the Tribune’s reporting that Benton’s former
district office employee reported a series of inappropriate comments and
sexual harassment instances to Welch’s office in April 2023. However,
Welch’s office didn’t address the allegations with Benton until July
that year.
According to Welch, his chief of staff at the time heard through
second-hand sources that there were issues in Benton’s office. The chief
of staff reached out to Benton’s staffer and asked her to put what
happened in writing. Welch said his office waited months to address the
issue with Benton because she wanted it to wait until she left her job
in Benton’s office, fearing retaliation.
Nevertheless, Benton remained part of the Democratic caucus, and
Welch-controlled political funds spent $1.4 million in 2024 to help him
get reelected. Welch said there had not been any formal complaints
against Benton at the time, as the staff member did not want to file a
complaint with the LIG.
“When you’re thinking about 2023, at that time I had an unofficial
complaint and a member adamantly deny it,” Welch said. “And so, when you
think about a person’s due process, you have to honor that.”
Welch said that 2023 documentation helped build a case this year when he
learned about new allegations against Benton. According to documents
released by the Legislative Ethics Commission, Benton sexually harassed
two different lobbyists at bars and the incidents were reported to the
speaker’s office by two state representatives.
Welch said his office learned about the incidents on Feb. 19, and he met
with his chief of staff, chief ethics officer and chief counsel the
following day. That same day, he said his chief legal counsel verbally
informed the LIG. The House was not in session on Feb. 20, and Welch
said he met with Benton when the House returned on Feb. 24 and kicked
him out of the caucus. A written report wasn’t filed with the LIG until
March 4, documents show.
Exploring changes
Welch argued that processes for dealing with complaints — which he kept
in place after their implementation under former Speaker Mike Madigan —
“were not adequate” and his office is working to come up with stronger
procedures.
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Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch on the House floor ahead of the
chamber’s adjournment on June 1, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo
by Jerry Nowicki)
Sexual harassment in the House was a problem for Madigan in 2018 and it
eroded trust with lawmakers, who ultimately forced him out in 2021 as a
corruption scandal grew. One of Madigan’s top political operatives,
Kevin Quinn, and his chief of staff, Tim Mapes, were both hit with their
own allegations of inappropriate behavior.
Eight years later, Benton’s case and Welch’s response to it have again
put workplace conduct and sexual harassment in the House back in the
spotlight.
“It takes all of us to change a culture,” Welch said. “Everyone that
sees something should say something. We should have an environment where
people are comfortable to say something, and it’s not going to be fixed
by one person alone. It’s going to take all of us, and for me, that’s
where the systemic failures come into place.”
Welch said one of his top priorities is centralizing human resources
operations in the House. Currently, district staffers report HR concerns
like sexual harassment to the representative that employs them. Welch
said that “complicates an already volatile situation” and he is looking
at ways to have district staff members report to the speaker’s office
instead.
Welch is also establishing a House Democratic working group on “culture
and accountability” that will be led by Rep. Dagmara Avelar,
D-Romeoville. Welch’s working groups typically form a package of policy
recommendations that eventually turn into bills, some of which could be
on the docket for the November and December veto session.
“Workplace culture goes beyond sexual harassment, and a lot of the
conversations we’ve been having with members these last two weeks, they
believe that too — that it goes beyond sexual harassment,” Welch said.
“It goes to bullying. It goes to hostile work environment. There’s a lot
of things that need to be addressed to change the culture.”
Welch said he’s also bringing in an outside investigator to make more
recommendations for changes.
Welch’s future
Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, is the only Democratic
representative to call for Welch to resign. The two aren’t on speaking
terms after Welch removed him from the caucus last year for working on a
budget bill without his permission.
“At best, his failure to adequately respond to sexual harassment
complaints is the consequence of poor management and irresponsibility,”
Crespo said in an opinion piece published by the Tribune last week. “At
worst, the speaker doesn’t take sexual harassment seriously and his
office normalizes such behavior.”
Other Democrats have criticized Welch’s actions and handling of the
situation but stopped short of calling on him to resign.
“The Speaker must demonstrate a sincere desire to repair the harm he has
done, and to correct the broken system in which we are all operating,”
Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, said in a statement last week. “To date,
that has not been the spirit of his response. Instead, we have heard a
series of excuses, victim blaming, and a failure to publicly acknowledge
shortcomings. That has been disappointing.”
Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, the chair of the House
Democratic Women’s Caucus, said in a statement that accountability must
go beyond Benton.
“Questions still remain about how these allegations were addressed, and
legislators and the public deserve a complete and transparent
explanation from those involved,” she said.
Welch said he plans to “continue to serve at the pleasure of the
caucus.” New elections for speaker at typically held in January when a
new General Assembly is sworn in.
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