In a matter of hours Wednesday, an Illinois state lawmaker went from a rising star in the Republican Party to the subject of news releases calling for his resignation. Rep. Nick Sauer stepped down after a news outlet published allegations he engaged in “revenge porn.”
The lightning-quick turnaround is something to behold in Springfield. Allegations of behavior that used to be excused, tolerated and buried are now addressed seriously, swiftly and publicly.
We credit one thing: the courage of women willing to speak out.
According to a story first reported by Politico, an ex-girlfriend of Sauer’s filed a complaint with the Chicago Police Department and the state’s legislative inspector general, accusing Sauer of creating a fake social media account on which he posted nude photos of her. She said she sent the pictures to him during their two-year courtship, which ended this summer, and did not know he had been posting them publicly.
Within hours of the story’s publication, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin announced that Sauer, a freshman state representative, would step down by the end of the day. In his resignation letter, Sauer said allegations from a “former girlfriend” would be a “distraction” from his ability to serve fully. Republicans still have time to replace him on the fall ballot.
Sauer’s departure follows the resignation of Tim Mapes, House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff, in June. A colleague, Sherri Garrett, accused Mapes of lewd remarks and harassing conduct. Before that, it was Denise Rotheimer who exposed flirty social media exchanges with Democratic Sen. Ira Silverstein. A few months later, Alaina Hampton, a Democratic Party campaign staffer, alleged she was subjected to unwanted advances by one of Madigan’s aides, who was subsequently fired.
Sauer’s former girlfriend, Kate Kelly, who spoke to Politico about her case, said she recently found an Instagram account that contained nude pictures of her.
Democratic state Sen. Melinda Bush said Sauer may have violated a 2014 Illinois law that criminalized the act of sharing intimate images without the consent of the subject, a practice known generally as “revenge porn.” Posting such material can devastate the victim, leading to potential job losses and even stalking, supporters of the law testified.
Allegations involving elected officials and staff in Springfield used to be directed to an ethics office that existed mostly on paper. Now it is staffed with an inspector general who means business. Springfield isn’t known for making meaningful progress in many areas. Here, it has.
— Chicago Tribune