# Illinois' ethics watchdog office is broken by design

> Michael McCuskey is resigning as legislative inspector general, but the rules that hobbled the job are still on the books.
- Title: Illinois' ethics watchdog office is broken by design
- Summary: Michael McCuskey is resigning as legislative inspector general, but the rules that hobbled the job are still on the books. One person with no investigatory…
- Keywords: illinois politics, sexual harassment, government ethics, springfield, accountability, news, local, Illinois', ethics, watchdog, office, broken
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2026/09/12/legislative-inspector-generals-resignation-exposes-need-for-reform
- Published: 2026-09-12T10:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: illinois politics, sexual harassment, government ethics, springfield, accountability, news, local
## 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
## Key takeaway

One person with no investigatory training, a one-year filing window and no power to act on news reports cannot police harassment in Springfield. Fix the statute, not just the officeholder.