Most of Illinois’ Congressional representatives effectively voted to kill a resolution that would have released sexual harassment claims against lawmakers.
The resolution from U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, would have directed the U.S. House Committee on Ethics to “preserve and publicly release all records related to investigations into Members of Congress for sexual harassment, unwelcome sexual advances, and sexual assault under House rules,” a news release read.
The majority of Illinois’ representatives were among the 357 lawmakers that voted to refer the resolution to the Ethics Committee, where it will likely not move forward.
Ethics Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement that they believe forced disclosures from the resolution “could chill victim cooperation and witness participation in ongoing and future investigations.”
The vote happened March 4, while on March 5, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, ended his re-election bid after admitting to an affair with his late, former staff member, Regina Santos-Aviles. Santos-Aviles died by self-immolation in 2025.
NBC News reported in February that Gonzales sent Santos-Aviles multiple sexually explicit texts in May 2024. Santos-Aviles admitted to having an improper relationship in text messages with a former colleague, according to The San Antonio Express-News.
Here are the Illinois representatives who voted to refer the resolution to the Ethics Committee.
Illinois representatives that voted to refer the resolution to the Committee on Ethics
Illinois representatives that voted not to refer the resolution to the Committee on Ethics
Illinois representatives who did not vote
U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Chicago
(This story has been updated with new information.)
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: See which Illinois lawmakers voted against sexual harassment disclosure
Reporting by Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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