Published on July 16 2021 4:16 pm

Last Updated on July 16 2021 4:16 pm

Written by Greg Sapp

While the Illinois legislature may have taken a small step forward by passing ethics legislation in the spring, State Senator Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) says he’s afraid the state has taken another step back with the announcement of the Legislative Inspector General (LIG) Carol Pope’s resignation.

In her Wednesday letter to the Legislative Ethics Commission (LEC), Pope stated her desire to bring about true ethics reform, and expressed her disappointment that her efforts were not as successful as she hoped.

“When I took this job as the Legislative Inspector General, I thought I might be able to make a difference working from the inside. I thought I could be useful in improving the public’s view of the legislature and help bring about true ethics reform. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do so. This last legislative session demonstrated true ethics reform is not a priority.”

Senator Bailey commends LIG Pope for taking a stand on the need for meaningful ethics reforms.

“Corruption runs deep in Illinois politics and it’s unfortunate that time after time, we continue to face roadblocks in our efforts to reform the state’s ethics laws,” said Bailey. “This year, my colleagues and I sponsored several bills to help overhaul a broken system by curbing corruption and holding legislators accountable.”

Senator Bailey said Pope has held members of the General Assembly accountable on several occasions, including four founded reports of wrongdoing since 2018. He said her diligent work has brought to light more wrongdoing during her tenure than any other LIG in Illinois history. 

Members of the Senate have sponsored several reforms that LIG Pope has requested in the last year. The Ethics Committee Chair did not call the bills for a hearing.