He told most of them that his office had conducted an “informal investigation” into sexual harassment allegations against former Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield) in 2023. So, based on talking to just two people, Welch concluded that this was a he-said, she-said dispute and, therefore, since no formal complaint was filed, Benton “was entitled to a constitutional right to due process,” Welch told WGN. Welch also told WGN, “we had to respect the wishes of the survivor, even though she didn’t want to go through a formal complaint process.” And Welch told WGN TV last week that, while he regretted supporting Benton, “labor was a big advocate of Benton. Labor did support Benton in 2024, and a big reason was Benton’s Republican opponent was Gabby Shanahan.