Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has dismissed a long-time political consultant after an investigation found he sent inappropriate text messages to a colleague.
Madigan identified the consultant as Kevin Quinn in a statement Monday.
Madigan attorney Heather Wier Vaught says the woman is a political consultant not employed by Madigan.
Vaught says Quinn texted the woman seeking a date in 2016. There were fewer than a dozen texts but they continued after the woman told Quinn she wasn't interested.
Quinn is a longtime employee of Madigan’s political operation and filings with the State Board of Elections show Quinn has been paid $513,000 since 1999 doing campaign work.
Quinn is the brother of Chicago Alderman Marty Quinn, who represents part of the city’s southwest side.
The woman came forward in November as Madigan was pressing legislation to clearly define sexual harassment as a state ethics-code violation.
The “#MeToo” movement has brought attention to the lack of options women had to bring forward complaints of sexual harassment in state politics.
A message left at a telephone number listed to Quinn was not returned.
- Illinois Public Radio's Tony Arnold and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
