Lake County Gazette

Denise Rotheimer wants justice in the matter of a complaint she filed against Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) about advances she said he made toward her while they were collaborating on legislation about protecting families.

In 2016, Rotheimer, a lobbyist who recently dropped out of the GOP primary in her bid to win the seat held by Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake), filed a complaint with the state's ethics commission asking the inspector general (IG) to review Silverstein's behavior.

Part of the problem was that the IG seat went unfilled for several years before Julie Porter recently assumed the role.

Denise Rotheimer, founder of Mothers on a Mission to Stop Violence

Now, Rotheimer is feeling less than satisfied with the response from the new inspector general.

"I have been informed by Julie Porter that I have no rights," Rotheimer is quoted as saying in a recent Capitol Fax post. "None that she can think of ... when I told her I have a constitutional right under the First Amendment ... to be heard in this process. She said I am confused because that is not how this process works and explained when I filed the complaint it was nothing more than making a tip to the government."

Capitol Fax also provided the following represented as text from the IG's report:

"Ultimately, I conclude that although Silverstein did not engage in sexual harassment in violation of the State Officials and Employee Ethics Act, or other unlawful conduct, he did behave in a manner unbecoming of a legislator in violation of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, 5 ILCS 420/3-107."

In comments to Lake County Gazette, Rotheimer said the system seems "rigged" against her.

"He has all the rights," Rotheimer said, suggesting that the situation, as it stands, doesn't indicate Silverstein will pay much of a price for his actions.

Rotheimer also expressed frustration with a system that does not fully inform complaint filers in a timely way.

"Is there a resolution (to the case)?" Rotheimer said. "I should know before anyone else does."

Rotheimer said she is not expecting Silverstein to be formally charged with sexual harassment. First, she said, she was never an employee of the state, and that means sexual harassment would not legally apply. However, she said, that doesn't mean that sexual harassment didn't happen.

"People have to be very clear about that," Rotheimer said. "My complaint was about abuse of power."