Lang slams “absurd” abuse of power allegations

Posted on June 1, 2018

By RFD Radio/WFMB

SPRINGFIELD – Powerful Illinois lawmaker Lou Lang is responding to allegations that he harassed a female lobbyist.

Lang has been accused of threatening and blackballing Maryann Loncar while she was working on the medical marijuana bill passed years ago. She said Lang also put his hand on her lower back and made inappropriate comments. After the allegations were made, Lang resigned from his seat at House Deputy Majority Leader, but he denies any wrongdoing.

“I’ll say what I’ve said twice,” Lang told reporters. “From beginning to end, the allegations are absurd”

Loncar also alleges that the Democratic lawmaker from Skokie was close to accepting part of a $170 million dollar bribe that she and another person disrupted and stopped. Lang says nothing like that happened.

“If I have $170 million somewhere, help me find it.”

Lang added he’s ready to have a full investigation into his behavior and paints Loncar as a woman who didn’t achieve what she wanted out the legislative process so now she’s lobbing these accusations against him.

Loncar raised the allegations against Lang one day after he helped champion the state’s passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

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