According to Capitol Fax, State Representative Murri Briel has stepped down from Speaker Chris Welch’s Workplace Culture and Accountability Working Group, adding another setback to an initiative that was supposed to address workplace culture in the Illinois House but has instead turned into a publicity stunt that has only resulted in bad press.

Briel's departure comes amid allegations involving her conduct toward a former employee, including allegations that she supplied drugs in her campaign office and sexually harassed a former employee.

Speaker Welch created the Workplace Culture and Accountability Working Group in an attempt to save face, but the group is already falling apart before it even gets off the ground.

Two Democratic lawmakers whose names were floated for the group have declined to participate, while even Governor Pritzker has questioned whether a working group is the right approach.

After weeks of defending his handling of the Harry Benton scandal, Speaker Chris Welch is now attempting to rehabilitate his image with a desperate attempt at the creation of a new Workplace Culture and Accountability Working Group. Unfortunately, the group appears to be more about repairing the Speaker's political standing than repairing the culture of the Illinois House. 

In an effort to preserve his power, Speaker Chris Welch launched a media tour to defend his handling of the Harry Benton scandal. But with each interview, he offers a different explanation with more excuses. First it was due process. Then it was respecting the survivor's wishes. Now it’s reported that he just dismisses complaints that come into his office.

 

The excuses keep changing, but the outcome stayed the same: Speaker Welch covered up sexual harassment allegations. 

In 2019, after signing legislation to strengthen protections against workplace sexual harassment and support victims, Governor JB Pritzker declared that Illinois would no longer tolerate looking the other way.

At the bill signing, the Governor said:

"Sexual harassment is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the state of Illinois."

He also promised:

"...This commonsense law makes it clear that the days of turning a blind eye to sexual harassment in the workplace are over."

Seven years later, those words ring hollow.

When Speaker Welch first took the gavel, he promised a "new day" in the Illinois House following the downfall of his mentor and predecessor, Michael Madigan. Yet despite those promises of reform, it is becoming increasingly clear that they are ringing hollow.

Following the resignation of former State Representative Harry Benton, the Chicago Tribune is reporting a young female staffer came to Speaker Chris Welch's office in 2023 to report harassment allegations against Benton. According to the Tribune, the Speaker's office slow-walked the case and failed to reprimand former Rep. Benton. Another cover-up for Speaker Welch, following a playbook that is all too familiar.

In April of this year, when asked whether former State Representative Harry Benton should resign, Speaker Welch said, “We also have to talk about victims. We’re gonna respect victims.”

His remarks are a complete contradiction from his actions in 2023.