GOP lawmakers react to legislative watchdog’s resignation
By PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Republican lawmakers in Illinois are renewing their call for ethics reform following the resignation Wednesday of the General Assembly’s top watchdog, Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope.
“Inspector Pope has proven to be a dedicated public servant representing the people of Illinois and their desire for a more ethical state government,” Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, said in a statement. “Her job was difficult in a state that has a history of legislator misconduct. I wish her well and look forward to helping find a successor to carry this important mission forward.”
Pope, who had held the job since December 2018, said in a resignation letter to members of the Legislative Ethics Commission, which oversees the inspector general, that she was frustrated by the unwillingness of lawmakers to enact ethics reform measures that would have given her office more independent authority.
“This past legislative session demonstrated true ethics reform is not a priority,” Pope wrote. “The LIG has no real power to effect change or shine a light on ethics violations. The position is essentially a paper tiger.”
The office of inspector general is overseen by an eight-member, bipartisan group of lawmakers known as the Legislative Ethics Commission, which must give its approval before the inspector general can launch an investigation.
During the spring legislative session, lawmakers passed an ethics bill, Senate Bill 539, which is awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature. It gives the inspector general independent authority to launch investigations, but only upon the filing of a formal complaint. It also makes a number of changes to financial disclosure requirements and limits the ability of lawmakers to leave office and immediately go to work as lobbyists.
However, the bill does not give the inspector general authority to issue subpoenas or release the results of an investigation without approval from a majority of the commissioners, powers that Pope had argued are needed for the office to be effective.
The bill also limits the inspector general’s jurisdiction to matters concerning a lawmaker’s public duties or use of state office or employment.
“As I have said repeatedly, including before the Joint Commission on Ethics reform back in 2020, as a result of this, the LIG will not be able to investigate conduct unbecoming a legislator that results from things such as posting revenge porn on social media, failure to pay income taxes on non-legislative income, and other conduct that I and the public think the LIG should be able to investigate,” Pope wrote in her resignation letter.
Asked about the bill during a news conference Thursday, Pritzker said it includes many provisions that he favors but conceded it does not go as far as he would have liked.
“And again, we’re gonna keep working on this,” he said. “This isn’t the end of this discussion, it’s the beginning. But this was a bipartisan effort. There were prosecutors who are in the legislature who were involved in the crafting of this ethics reform bill. So I agree that there’s more that needs to be done, but this is a decent beginning and I will continue to work with legislators to make sure that we get more done.”
Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, the current chairwoman of that commission, issued a statement praising Pope’s work and criticizing Democratic leaders for refusing to enact more meaningful ethics reforms.
“Our caucus has long supported her efforts,” Tracy said. “It is unfortunate that the majority legislative leaders did not make better use of her skills and her willingness to make some much-needed changes that would benefit all lawmakers. Ethics reform in Illinois has long been an ongoing challenge.”
Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, said in a statement that Pope’s resignation letter “speaks to glaring issues that prevent this position from providing meaningful accountability to the General Assembly.”
“Illinoisans have paid the high price of corruption for far too long,” he said. “This resignation is a call to legislate true reforms that will allow future inspectors general to hold legislators accountable in our statehouse and end Illinois’ culture of corruption.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
EPCHS adds Emmy-winning actor Gary Sievers to Hall of Fame
Spread the loveEvergreen Park Community High School has added a name to its list of Hall of Famers. Gary Sievers, a 1968 EPCHS graduate who became well-known for his acting, public speaking, work in radio and television, community service, civic leadership and teaching, was posthumously inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame during the Honors…
Worth vehicle sticker applications ‘lost’ in the mail
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Worth Village Clerk Bonnie Price said that even though application forms for village vehicle stickers were sent out to the post office last month residents were still waiting to receive those applications. “We have been doing this for 15 years,” Price said during the Worth Village Board meeting May 7. “This…
Hunt killer in ‘drifting’ slaying
Spread the love. Police seek witnesses, video of 59/Western . By Tim Hadac Police are appealing to the public to help find those responsible for the slaying of a 20-year-old West Englewood man during a takeover of the intersection at 59th and Western at 3:21 a.m. Sunday, May 5. The victim–identified as Guillermo “Memito” Caballero…
Mom gets 20 years in babies’ murder
Spread the love. Stuffed her newborn twin boys in an alley garbage cart . By Tim Hadac The books closed this month on a double murder that shocked and sickened many in the Garfield Ridge area more than 20 years ago. Antoinette Briley, 44, pled guilty on May 7 to murdering her twin baby boys…
Ladies lead the way to stylish Kentucky Derby fun
Spread the love As a tip of the cap–so to speak–to the Kentucky Derby, acclaimed chef Gloria Hafer (second from right) visited the Garfield Ridge Satellite Senior Center last week to cook a burgoo (a thick stew traditionally popular in the South). For an added bit of fun, the center had a derby contest. Among…
Seek donations for charity at Two Holy Martyrs
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac The Society of St. Vincent de Paul chapter at Two Holy Martyrs Parish will host a bundle weekend on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. Volunteers will staff two trailers at the St. Rene Goupil Church parking lot, 64th and New England, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday…
Palos Park finance director heading to Westmont
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Palos Park was in good hands with Altic. Finance director/treasurer Allen Altic is leaving the village later this month to take a similar position in Westmont, just a few miles from his home in Downers Grove. Altic was an assistant finance director in Bloomingdale from 2012 to 2020, when he…
Orland Township hosting free senior health fair
Spread the loveOrland Township and Supervisor Paul O’Grady are hosting a senior health fair to provide free health services and information to senior citizens on Tuesday, May 21, from 9 a.m. until noon at Orland Township, located at 14807 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park. The Senior Health Fair is an excellent opportunity for seniors to…
District 128 teacher joins Golden Apple Accelerator Program
Spread the loveBy Kelly White A Palos Heights School District 128 educator was selected to be a part of the Golden Apple Accelerator Program. Also, a District 128 alum, Moira Touhy, a paraprofessional at Independence Junior High School, 6610 W. Highland Dr., Palos Heights, will be participating in the 15-month online program specifically geared toward…
Neighbors
Charge West Lawn man in 47th St. slaying
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac An 18-year West Lawn man has been charged with murder in connection with the June 11 slaying of a 20-year-old woman in the 4700 block of South Rockwell. Dilan E. Ugalde, of the 3600 block of West 62nd Place, was apprehended by members of the Chicago Police Department and the Great Lakes Regional…
Charge 2 in Ford City carjacking
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac A 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking in connection with a crime that occurred in a Ford City parking lot at about 8:45 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. Travell Barnes, 19, of the 6800 block of South Hermitage, and the boy allegedly took a…
Police reports
Spread the loveMan shot to death in Chicago Lawn A 23-year-old man was shot in the back of the head and killed in a crime that occurred in the 6400 block of South St. Louis at about 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. Officers responding to a “person down” call discovered the victim lying on the…
Building a bridge at Daley College
Spread the love‘After 22’ program to help adults with disabilities By Tim Hadac For Chicagoans with developmental disabilities, their 22nd birthday can feel like falling off a cliff. That’s when they become ineligible for the special education transition services they’ve received all their lives. That ineligibility can last for up to seven years, until they…
Society failed Melissa, Chuy says
Spread the loveCalls for more gov’t funds to fight violence From staff reports Hours after police announced the arrest of two suspects in the slaying of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega, U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th) issued the following statement. “Since the tragic death of Melissa Ortega, we have seen the resilience and strength of Little…
Charge Brighton Pk. man with child’s murder
Spread the loveDrove getaway vehicle, police say By Tim Hadac A 27-year-old Brighton Park man and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with murder in the Jan. 22 slaying of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega in the Little Village neighborhood. Xavier Guzman, 27, of the 4600 block of South Fairfield, and the teen are in custody. Bond…
Think before you answer a Facebook quiz, BBB says
Spread the loveBy Better Business Bureau staff Social media is used as a fun distraction for some people, and taking a Facebook quiz may seem like a harmless way to pass the time. But are you giving away more information than you think? How the scam works A fun quiz pops up on your Facebook…
Thank you, Karen Sala
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac GSWNH Columnist At-Large As we all know, longtime Gage Park correspondent Karen Sala has decided to conclude her time with this column. Like every Greater Southwest News-Herald correspondent, Karen made the neighborhoods she served a better place. Thank you, Karen! That said, the search now begins for a new Gage…
Crime prevention starts with each of us
Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Hi neighbors! Before I say another thing, I want to wish my fellow columnist Karen Sala well. As you know, she wrote her final column last week. I love Karen’s style of writing. It’s conversational and natural. I always felt like she…
Plenty to celebrate in February
Spread the loveBy Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 “February is the month when days start to get long and gloomy nights to shrink.” –Anonymous. Thank goodness there are only 28 days this year. We are getting closer to March. But it’s silly to…