Published July 24, 2026 at 11:42 AM CDT

Former Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield) resigned this summer after sexual harassment allegations came to light. But the Illinois House Speaker, Emanuel "Chris" Welch, is facing criticism for how he handled the the situation.

A Benton staffer at the time first made allegations three years ago and the Democratic leadership continued to support Benton in elections. The Chicago Tribune reported a lobbyist later brought harassment concerns to the speaker's office.

A bipartisan legislative panel has now voted to make an inspector general report public by the end of the month. Listen to our panel discussion.

We also talk about some of the latest campaign finance numbers that show problems for Republicans.

Host Sean Crawford is joined by Chicago Tribune Chief Political Writer Rick Pearson and Professor Emeritus Kent Redfield.