US
Important Illinois Democrat Gets $130K After Stepping Down Due To Harassment Allegations
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The Illinois House Speaker’s former chief of staff resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment on June 6, but he will receive compensation of $130,500 for unused vacation and sick days.
Even if allegations against ex-Chief of Staff Timothy Mapes are proven in a probe by Illinois’ legislative inspector general, the most that Mapes would have to pay is a $5,000 fine.
Mapes had served as Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff since 1992, according to the Associated Press. He was also employed as the executive director of the Illinois Democratic Party.
Mapes received a yearly salary of $208,000. As a 40-year employee of the state, Mapes will also get to collect an annual pension of approximately $134,000.
Specific allegations against Mapes accused him of making lewd comments and mishandling sexual harassment complaints, reported the Associated Press.
House account technician Sherri Garrett made the complaint that led to Mapes’ resignation. Mapes made sexual comments to Garrett and joked about sexual harassment training, she said at a news conference in Chicago on June 6. Mapes also ignored her and other women’s complaints of harassment by lawmakers on two separate occasions, Garrett said.
The incidents started in 2013 and continued sporadically until the weeks leading up to Mapes’ resignation, Garrett said.
Mapes’ former boss Madigan appointed an all-woman panel to choose his replacement as director of the Illinois Democratic Party, reported the Associated Press. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law that lets Illinois’ Legislative Ethics Commission enact punishments even if the accused is no longer employed by the state on June 8, two days after Mapes’ resignation.
Another important Illinois Democrat, ex-Deputy House Majority Leader Lou Lang, stepped down on May 31 after a woman accused him of sexual harassment, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.
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