Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is facing calls for answers, or even for his resignation, over his handling of a harassment scandal involving a member of his caucus. State Rep. Harry Benton resigned his seat earlier this summer after an Inspector General’s report found “clear patterns of conduct” that were “outrageous, unethical and unbecoming” after he was accused of sexual harassment by a former staffer. Questions have since arisen over what Welch knew and when he knew it, and numerous high-profile individuals and organizations have called for his resignation, including the Illinois Republican Women and Alaina Hampton, who was a whistleblower for harassment within the office of former House Speaker Mike Madigan. #sexualharrassment #illinois #chriswelch #illinoispolitics #chicago