Illinois lawmakers call for governor-appointed Epstein investigatory
commission
[March 03, 2026]
By Maggie Dougherty
CHICAGO — Illinois lawmakers are calling for an independent commission
to investigate Illinois-linked crimes connected to international sex
trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Democratic lawmakers Monday joined advocates for women and survivors of
sexual abuse to introduce House Bill 5723, called the Illinois Epstein
Files Investigation Act.
The bill, if passed, would create a commission to investigate
Illinois-based crimes connected to Epstein’s network. Those would focus
primarily on the stories of victims in Illinois and crimes that may have
occurred in Illinois.
“Survivors connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network have been
telling us the same thing, that the abuse didn’t happen in a vacuum,”
said bill sponsor Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, D-Bridgeview. “There were
systems behind it, there was power behind it, and in too many cases,
there were institutions that looked the other way, institutions that
were supposed to protect these young girls but didn’t.”
The measure has a long way to go to become law. Rashid was listed as the
bill’s lone sponsor as of Monday afternoon, the day it was filed, though
he was accompanied by two other supportive Democrat legislators.
The 10-member commission would be appointed by the governor and approved
by the state Senate. At least three of those members must be from a
different party than the governor. Members of the commission would be
unpaid, but could submit for reimbursement of expenses, should the
General Assembly decide to provide funding.
While Rashid said he would welcome bipartisan support, the board’s
makeup and the governor’s power over it may make Republican votes
difficult to find.
Bill advocates say the commission is needed to fill a gap left at the
federal level as the U.S. Department of Justice faces criticism for
withholding records from the Epstein files, particularly pertaining to
President Donald Trump, despite a law that Trump signed mandating their
release. Trump is mentioned more than 38,000 times in the documents that
have been released so far.
“It’s absolutely stomach-churning and awful to see what these survivors
have been through, and to let the wheels of justice fall off at the
federal level is an abomination,” said Rep. Anne Stava, D-Naperville.
“It’s often said ‘the wheel of justice turns slowly.’ In this case, we
need to speed that up.”
Tony McCombie, the Republican Minority Leader in the House, called
Epstein’s crimes “horrific,” but added, “Creating a ‘commission’ here
may generate headlines, but it does not deliver justice to victims.”
“But let’s also be honest: Illinois legislators cannot subpoena federal
investigators, prosecute international trafficking rings, or conduct a
parallel federal criminal investigation from Springfield,” said McCombie,
who represents the 89th District in northwestern Illinois.
‘Real teeth’
The bill would give the commission investigatory authority to request
records from state and local agencies, issue subpoenas for documents and
testimony, and provide confidentiality protections to victims and other
whistleblowers. Victims would not be compelled to testify against their
wishes, according to Rashid.
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An extra sign promoting the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act
sits on a chair at a March 2, 2026, news conference introducing the
legislation. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Maggie Dougherty)
Like the Illinois Accountability Commission, which is investigating
potential abuses by federal immigration agents operating in Illinois,
the Epstein commission would hold public meetings and issue public
reports, redacted as needed for privacy.
It would be required to submit an initial report within its first year
of operation and another before it ceases operations after five years.
Any investigative files open at the time the commission closes its doors
would be transferred to the attorney general’s office.
“This commission will have real teeth, subpoena power, the ability to
refer criminal evidence to the Attorney General and the independence to
follow the facts wherever they lead,” Sen. Graciela Guzmán, D-Chicago,
said. “The bill also strengthens the Attorney General’s hand by allowing
a statewide grand jury when local prosecutors can’t or won’t act.”
The bill would allow the attorney general to call a statewide grand jury
to investigate and prosecute crimes related to Epstein, including sexual
exploitation of children, child pornography, human trafficking, money
laundering, racketeering and perjury.
It would not replace prosecutors, Rashid said, but give the state the
tools it needs to fully investigate where Illinois law was broken.
Illinois impact
The governor’s cousin, Thomas Pritzker, recently resigned from his role
as the executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels after his association with
Epstein and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell came into clearer view through
emails released in the Epstein files tranche.
When asked about his cousin’s connection to Epstein in a recent
interview, the governor said that anyone who has done something wrong
should be held accountable.
“I’m not close to my cousin, but I can tell you that it’s very important
that people be held to pay the price for whatever it is that they may
have done,” Pritzker said.
If the bill becomes law, Illinois lawmakers would join New Mexico in
creating state-level bodies to investigate Epstein’s criminal sex
trafficking network.
Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico has faced scrutiny as a hub of his
sex trafficking crimes. New Mexico lawmakers passed the bill unanimously
in February.
Supporters of the Illinois bill said they hoped other states would join
the fight in lieu of accountability at the national level.
“For years, the country has been told to wait, wait for Washington, wait
for the next document drop, wait for the next excuse. Wait while
survivors carry the weight,” Jane Ruby, president of the League of Women
Voters of Chicago, told reporters.
“If justice remains a locked door in Washington, then let our state be
the battering ram,” she added. “Let Illinois lead the way.”
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