Bloomington lawmaker expresses relief as house speaker gives up leadership post

SPRINGFIELD (25News Now) - Illinois House Democrats will soon pick a new speaker after Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced he is relinquishing his leadership position.

State Rep. Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington) was one of 26 House Democrats who signed a letter calling for a new speaker. While the letter stated that each representative had their own reasons for signing, Chung told 25News her decision stemmed in part from allegations involving Welch’s behavior toward women.

Chung said her initial reaction to Welch stepping down was one of relief.

“This has been a very difficult process for many of us,” Chung said.

“Known that Speaker Welch sort of took the writing on the wall… talk to folks around him and be able to make the right decision to sort of, minimize as much pain as possible, I respect that tremendously. I was a bit relieved, I have to say.”

Chung, a mother of two daughters, said there were several reasons she chose to sign the letter, which called for “new leadership” through a “robust race for a new Speaker of the House.”

Chung said she previously questioned Welch during caucus phone calls about his handling of sexual harassment allegations involving former Democratic Rep. Harry Benton. The allegations involved staffers and lobbyists.

“We were on different calls with the speaker where he was explaining the situation, and I had asked him— if you knew [Benton] had done this, I don’t understand why you would put money into his campaign and help him win,” said Chung.

Benton continued serving in the House until July, when he resigned and withdrew his name from the ballot. An investigation later found Benton’s conduct to be “unbecoming of an elected official.”

Chung said her concerns about Welch also stemmed from allegations that the speaker acted inappropriately in private messages and made others around him uncomfortable.

In July, the Chicago Tribune reported that Welch sent heart-eyes emojis in response to a former female staffer’s Instagram photos and suggested moving their conversations to Signal, an encrypted messaging app. The woman also said Welch invited her to meet at a bar to discuss her career.

The former staffer told the Tribune that the interactions made her uncomfortable.

Welch later apologized publicly for his interactions with the woman during an August interview with Capitol News Illinois, saying he regretted making her uncomfortable and that it was not his intention.

“Especially young women who are getting started in their careers, and having this, or subject to that kind of behavior by people in power, that’s something that—it doesn’t sit well with me, and I tend to be very protective of that and I want to speak out against behavior like that,” said Chung.

State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) has not responded to requests for comment. She is an assistant majority leader for House Democrats.

Get 25NewsStreaming on your smart TV — it’s free and easy. Watch live newscasts, recent newscasts, top news stories, updated forecasts, local sports highlights, and exclusive content. Search “WEEK 25 News” to install.