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player ready...When former Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope resigned in 2022, she called the post a “paper tiger,” saying the office “has no real power to effect change or shine a light on ethics violations.”
Pope’s successor, Michael McCuskey, just submitted his resignation. McCuskey was appointed in 2022, and his term was not set to expire until 2028.
McCuskey’s decision, which we thought wise, follows criticism of his handling of the investigation into disgraced former state Rep. Harry Benton and an unusually candid radio interview in which he disclosed sensitive information about legislative ethics matters. We previously criticized his investigative practices and his failure to recognize when confidentiality required him to say “no comment.” His performance merits scrutiny, but his departure should not obscure the structural weakness of the office itself.
Moving forward, McCuskey’s resignation gives Illinois lawmakers another opportunity to decide what they want in a legislative inspector general: the answer should be a genuine independent watchdog.
Before they choose who holds the role next, they should give that successor the authority to succeed. And Springfield’s supermajority Democrats should look inward at the same time.
At a Wednesday press conference, state Rep. Travis Weaver dubbed Democrats’ recent string of controversies the “summer of scandal.” He was referring to a series of stories that broke in recent weeks, including Benton’s sexual misconduct, as well as state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, who has pleaded not guilty to 10 federal felony charges, including wire fraud, lying to the FBI and conspiring to obstruct justice.
These problems did not originate with McCuskey’s office, however. McCuskey’s performance was flawed, yes, but simply replacing him will not prevent such scandals from brewing in future.
The LIG can’t change the culture from within; it can only shine a light on bad actors from without.
Two things must change in Springfield: the watchdog and the culture. If we thought misconduct had ended with the departure of longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan, we were wrong. Far from being a distant problem, ethics scandals continue to roil Illinois government.
A fully empowered, independent LIG would help expose corruption in the legislative branch.
The General Assembly’s unwillingness to make that happen is evidence of its bigger problem: a culture that never fully reformed after Madigan’s departure.
Before her departure, former LIG Pope led investigations into Madigan associates Tim Mapes and Kevin Quinn. Her exit became a protest of the powerlessness of her office.
Pope declared that in Springfield, “true ethics reform is not a priority.” She was right.
Before Pope, there was Julie Porter, who in 2019 wrote in an op-ed for the Tribune that “unless and until the legislature changes the structure and rules governing the LIG, it is a powerless role, and no LIG — no matter how qualified, hardworking and persistent — can effectively serve the public.”
Porter pointed out that Illinois’ first LIG, Tom Homer, in 2014 recommended greater public disclosure of investigative findings. Although state law now mandates publication in limited circumstances, the LEC retains control over whether many other investigative reports become public.
Democratic state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid of Bridgeview filed legislation in 2025 to allow the LIG to issue subpoenas without the advance approval of the Commission, as well as the ability to publish reports without requiring permission from the LEC. Rashid’s bill also would required the appointment of one commissioner from the general public to the LEC — we support adding more non-legislators to the oversight mix. Republican state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, also in 2025 filed related legislation granting the LIG independent subpoena power. Both bills remain stuck in the rules committee.
Such legislation seems like a reasonable first step toward giving the LIG more independence, whenever a replacement is found. State law requires legislative leaders to create a four-member search committee tasked with recommending up to three candidates to the LEC. Separately, the commission must name an acting LIG within 45 days if the position remains unfilled.
But a new LIG isn’t an ethics panacea. We agree with state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, who said Wednesday that Springfield can’t just “rely on an LIG to do all the work” of addressing ethics reform.
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Remember, the young staffer who alleged harassment by Benton reported the behavior to House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s chief of staff in April 2023. But she wasn’t interviewed until months later, at which point she had already quit her job.
Benton’s bad behavior was on leadership’s radar for years, yet he remained in office until July.
We can only conclude that five years after Madigan stepped down, Springfield still has a serious culture problem that a toothless LIG office cannot fix.
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