SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), in her role as Chairwoman of the Legislative Ethics Commission, called a meeting this morning to select a new Legislative Inspector General, but a vote was stalled by several Democrat members.Current Legislative Inspector General (LIG) Carol Pope has indicated she will resign that post as of Dec. 15, 2021.
Despite much effort, debate, and encouragement from the Republican members of the Commission, several Democrat members in attendance left the meeting before a vote was taken, and said they did not want to “rush the process.” Tracy said there are no legislative days left to confirm a replacement before the LIG’s resignation date.
Chairwoman Tracy released the following statement after the Legislative Ethics Commission missed its last opportunity to confirm a new LIG before the current LIG’s resignation takes effect.
“Confirming a candidate before the approaching deadline is my top priority for this Commission to ensure that Illinois will continue to have a Legislative Inspector General. Unfortunately, that priority was not shared by some of the members of the opposition.
Our search committee met expectations, interviewed multiple candidates and complied with the reasonable timeline that was outlined. We had ample opportunity to make a selection and I am disappointed that several of the Democrat members of the Commission did not commit to seeing this process through.
Now, we are in a situation where in just six weeks, we could have complaints coming into the Commission and not have a Legislative Inspector General in place to address them. Allowing this position to go unfilled is a major disservice to the people of Illinois who deserve an accountable and transparent government.”
Chairwoman Tracy said she intends to take all possible action, including asking the current LIG to extend her resignation date, to ensure that Illinois is not left without a Legislative Inspector General.