Illinois House Democrats say they will no longer work with a public relations firm that helped guide then-Speaker Michael Madigan on sexual harassment issues at the same time it was orchestrating support for a campaign worker who said she had been harassed.
Then-Speaker Michael Madigan works the floor as the Illinois House convenes at the Bank of Springfield Center on Jan. 8, 2021.
Their relationship began the same year that former House Democratic campaign worker Alaina Hampton went public with sexual harassment allegations against a top Madigan aide, Kevin Quinn, brother of 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn.Hampton had charged in a federal lawsuit that she had been blackballed from working on Madigan’s operations for going public with her harassment claim. She later settled with Madigan-related campaign funds.
After several days of questions from the Tribune, SKDK apologized last week, saying, it understood “in retrospect” that the “decision to work with then-Speaker Madigan’s campaign on these matters was an error in light of the support Ms. Hampton was receiving from another firm through a separate initiative we were proud to support.”
Senate President Don Harmon, left, and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch during a joint session of the General Assembly on April 19, 2023, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. Welch found himself explaining what had happened at an impromptu meeting with a group made up primarily of female lawmakers before House Democrats voted for him to succeed Madigan in January 2021.
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