Illinois Valley Times

State Sen. Brian W. Stewart (R-Freeport) is in total agreement with outgoing Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope about ethics reform not being a big enough priority in Springfield.

“The LIG could not be any clearer in her message for lawmakers: ‘This last legislative session demonstrated true ethics reform is not a priority,’” Stewart said.  “We had an opportunity to bring about real change and although we took several steps in the right direction, Majority legislative leaders made sure that our progress fell far short of the kind of meaningful changes that would go a long way toward restoring Illinoisans’ faith in their government.” 

A former judge and prosecutor, Pope recently announced she plans to walk away from her post in December because she’s convinced the post has now deteriorated to a “paper tiger.”

Pope hinted that her decision has been building for a while now.

“The LIG has no real power to effect change or shine a light on ethics violations,” she said in her resignation letter. 

Pope said she finds reform legislation that now sits on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk to be counterproductive “by requiring the filing of a complaint before the LIG can undertake an investigation.”

Senate Bill 539 would also prohibit the LIG from launching an investigation based solely on public allegations raised in the news media.

To have any chance of being effective, Pope said the position needs more independence, with the LIG having the power to issue subpoenas and reports without first being required to get the approval of the bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission.

While Pope told The State Journal-Register she holds out hope the General Assembly will be able to find a quality replacement for her, she cautions, “I think it will be difficult to find someone of high integrity to take the job because of the limitations in the statute.”