The watchdog is stepping down

Illinois Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey agreed to resign his post by the end of September after months of criticism.

Resigning isn't the ending

Columnist Rich Miller argues the Legislative Ethics Commission should open its own investigation into why so many women said McCuskey mistreated, belittled and dismissed them.

Reopen the old cases

The commission could also ask whoever replaces McCuskey to go back and revisit the complaints handled under him.

The chair sounds receptive

Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, who chairs the ethics commission, said recent cases revealed real frustration and pain the panel wants to address.

“The recent investigations and situations that the LEC has been involved in and the LIG has conducted have revealed points of frustration and pain”

Two cases set this off

Keicher was pointing at the inspector general's investigations of former Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, and current Rep. Amy "Murri" Briel, D-Ottawa.

A lobbyist's complaint

Benton was found to have sexually harassed women. But a female lobbyist in that case said McCuskey mistreated her during her own interview.

The Briel allegations

Briel was accused of sexually harassing a 2024 campaign worker who later joined her House district office staff.

Unfounded versus no finding

Briel has said repeatedly that McCuskey ruled the allegations "unfounded," meaning meritless. McCuskey said he made "no finding," which says nothing about whether they were true.

Out of his jurisdiction

Most of Laura Jackson's allegations concerned campaign work, which the inspector general cannot touch. He also ruled she was an at-will employee, putting her outside his reach entirely.

Same story, second woman

Jackson said she ran into many of the same problems with McCuskey that the unnamed lobbyist described.

Not just a systems problem

Miller is blunt that McCuskey's alleged conduct had little to do with the statutes and rules governing his office. That was on him.

“McCuskey's alleged behavior wasn't a "systems" issue.”

But the law is still bad

A one-person quasi-legal tribunal deciding whether harassment claims are valid does not work, Miller writes, no matter who holds the job.

“this one-person quasi-legal tribunal approach to deciding whether sexual harassment allegations are valid doesn't work on its face”

Give accusers an ombudsperson

First fix: protect people who come forward. An ombudsperson could guide accusers through the process and sit with them in interviews. The interrogation format should go too.

The one-year clock is absurd

Complaints filed more than a year after the alleged conduct cannot be investigated. Rep. Mary Beth Canty notes House terms run two years, so the window should at least match. Senate terms argue for longer.

Let the office read the news

The inspector general cannot act on a news report until someone files a complaint. Miller wants that gone, campaign harassment added to the office's reach, and a next hire who can actually investigate rather than just read a witness's face.

“There are a lot of pain points that we need to fix”