By Cole Lauterbach/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Attorney General candidate Erika Harold says Springfield has failed its #MeToo test.
The Republican backed by Gov. Bruce Rauner proposed sweeping changes Wednesday to the way harassment allegations are handled under the dome.
“The failure by Speaker [Michael] Madigan, Senator Kwame Raoul and the Democratic majority in the General Assembly to enact meaningful reform of the investigation and complaint resolution process is a failure of leadership,” Harold said. “Women deserve real reform.”
Harold will face Raoul in the November general election.
Harold wants to change the law so that the Legislative Inspector General is independent of the General Assembly. Currently, the LIG needs permission to investigate from an eight member panel of lawmakers, four from each party. If they split a vote, the complaint never sees the light of day. Harold would expand that commission to include civilians and place mandatory punishments and sunlight provisions into law.
Any potential punishment would be taken out of the hands of the Ethics commission and handed off to the Illinois Courts Commission. The Illinois Courts Commission would be “empowered to censure, fine or recommend for removal members of the legislature found guilty of sexual harassment or other misconduct.”
The announcement came after more allegations of intimidation and retaliation within the Democratic Party. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, said that a high-level staffer from Madigan’s office and Madigan ally Rep. Robert Rita, D-Blue Island, leaned on Cassidy’s part-time employer, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, about her employment there as retaliation for speaking out about the party’s handling of harassment claims by a campaign worker. Cassidy resigned from the position. Madigan denies any involvement and called for an investigation by the special Legislative Inspector General, who he appointed.
Anti-violence advocate Denise Rotheimer has long advocated for some of the changes Harold is proposing but insists that the attorney general take matters into their own hands.
“Some of the measures that Harold proposes were pursued by Senators [Cristina] Castro and [Tim] Bivins this legislative session to no avail,” she said. “The AG should implement procedures within her office that would afford accusers with rights, due process and judicial review on a similar basis that is equal to the accused as an option.”
Current Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who decided to step down after 16 years in office, is the step daughter of Speaker Madigan.
As a victim of harassment herself, Harold said she would be an advocate of real reform in Springfield.
“The process for investigating and resolving allegations of legislative misconduct must be reformed,” she said.
Raoul, D-Chicago, didn’t respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
As of Thursday morning, there was a paragraph at the bottom of the “women’s rights” section regarding harassment.
“Kwame believes that it is paramount to make sure that anybody who is victimized or feels victimized by sexual misconduct is protected,” it reads. “Those impacted must feel comfortable enough to come forward and if they have been harassed or treated unfairly. As an experienced litigator he feels that if there is ever a false allegation a through and just examination will bare themselves out but that the plight of victims in these cases are the priority.”
