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ILLINOIS’
LEGISLATIVE WATCHDOG RESIGNS OVER INABILITY TO KEEP LAWMAKERS IN CHECK
Illinois Policy Institute/
Illinois’ legislative watchdog resigns over
inability to keep lawmakers in check
Criticizing the ethics reform measures recently passed by the Illinois
General Assembly, the legislative inspector general called her job a
“paper tiger” lacking the independence required to hold lawmakers
accountable. |
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 After just over two years as watchdog of the Illinois General
Assembly, Carol Pope said July 14 she is quitting the job she described as a
“paper tiger,” too weak to be effective.
She is not the first legislative inspector general to voice such concerns.
In the letter sent to members of the Legislative Ethics Commission, Pope said
the inspector general “has no real power to effect change or shine a light on
ethics violations.” The failure of lawmakers to adopt most of the measures she
had advocated shows “true ethics reform is not a priority.”
With Pope joining her predecessors in chafing from the restraints put on the
office charged with investigating wrongdoing in the General Assembly, state
lawmakers should pay attention and do more to police their ranks.
Ethics bill light on reforms to increase watchdog’s independence, effectiveness
Pope’s criticism of the restraints on her job comes after passage of an ethics
reform package as Senate Bill 539. The bill passed both chambers on June 1 and
was sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 30 – a product of the bipartisan desire
to initiate ethics reform in the wake of corruption scandals surrounding former
House Speaker Mike Madigan. Pritzker has yet to sign the bill.
Pope decried the lack of reform on several issues on which she testified in 2020
and 2021. They included the need for the inspector to be able to initiate
investigations and issue subpoenas without approval from state lawmakers on the
Legislative Ethics Commission, the need to publish founded summary reports on
lawmakers and the need to add a nonpartisan citizen member to the commission to
avoid investigations being stymied by the 4-4 partisan votes among the
commission’s lawmakers. Of the areas Pope described as ripe for reform, all
except the ability to independently initiate investigations were “unimproved,”
according to her letter.
Pope also criticized the new requirements that an official complaint be filed
before an investigation can commence and the limitation of the scope of
misconduct that can be investigated as hindering her ability to fulfill the
inspector’s role.
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She said she would have no authority to investigate
misconduct described only in media accounts or wrongdoing such as
lawmakers “posting revenge porn on social media” or the “failure to
pay income taxes on non-legislative income.”
Pope reiterates concerns of previous legislative
inspector generals
Pope is not the only person in her position to criticize the lack of
independence that her role had in ensuring the accountability of
state lawmakers.
Julie Porter, the previous inspector general, testified in February
2020 before the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform about
how her work was suppressed by the Legislative Ethics Commission
when she sought to publish her findings publicly. “Although I
completed dozens of investigations without incident, in some
significant matters, when I did find wrongdoing and sought to
publish it, state legislators charged with serving on the
Legislative Ethics Commission blocked me,” Porter wrote.
Former Legislative Inspector General Thomas Homer also called for
more independence and transparency when he left office in 2014,
according to the Chicago Tribune.
The resignation of Pope and the laments of those who have previously
served as legislative inspector general show Illinois needs to do
more to hold members of the General Assembly accountable for
corruption and wrongdoing. SB 539 is a first step, but the General
Assembly should pass additional reforms to enhance the autonomy of
the legislative inspector general.
House Bill 2774, introduced by state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, for
example, would have allowed the inspector to open investigations
into complaints without the approval of lawmakers. It also would
have authorized the inspector to issue subpoenas on her own
initiative and to publish founded summary reports without depending
on permission from the commission.
Pope’s resignation is an indication that the work toward a more
transparent Illinois state government is incomplete. |
