Illinois lawmakers to get new top watchdog with 'strong background in sexual harassment'

An ethics expert and former central Illinois judge is set to be the Illinois General Assembly’s next top watchdog, filling a role that came under increased scrutiny amid a flood of sexual harassment complaints at the Capitol since late last year.

Former federal prosecutor Julie Porter was picked for the legislative inspector general job in the fall of last year to deal with a backlog of more than two dozen ethics complaints that piled up in the three years that state lawmakers left the post vacant.

Now a state ethics panel has picked Carol Pope, a former judge and former Menard County state’s attorney, to take over in March, a timetable Porter requested to finish her work, Legislative Ethics Commission chair and Republican state Rep. Avery Bourne said.

New watchdog to keep looking into 10 ethics cases, drops 17 others »Bourne, a Raymond Republican, said Pope hopes to focus on prevention and make the office accessible to lawmakers and staff who might have ethics questions.

Read more: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-illinois-legislature-watchdog-sexual-harassment-20181218-story.html