The Illinois Downstate Congressional Delegation has now gotten involved in the ongoing Michael McClain email scandal. 18th District Congressman Darin LaHood, 13th District Congressman Rodney Davis, Congressmen John Shimkus, Adam Kinzinger, and Mike Bost released a joint statement today calling on Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the alleged rape in Champaign, Illinois and ghost worker cover up that McClain’s email outlined.
“These revelations are extremely troubling and a thorough independent investigation needs to happen immediately. We are very concerned that the Champaign County State’s Attorney has determined she will not investigate this alleged crime. If these disturbing allegations, that were revealed this week, are true there’s a victim out there that deserves justice and a criminal that should be prosecuted. Given the unwillingness of the local state’s attorney to investigate this alleged crime and ties to the governor’s campaign, we believe a special prosecutor is warranted.”
The Congressional Delegation echoed similar calls from bi-partisan state lawmakers yesterday. State Senator Bill Brady issued a letter calling on the Director of the Illinois State Police last night to open a “full and thorough” investigation.
WBEZ reporters Dan Mihalopoulos and Dave McKinney tracked down McClain outside a Chicago steakhouse seeking comment on the email. McClain said that he would be seeking counsel on whether to reveal what he was referring to in the 2012 email and that he was being investigated by federal authorities.
The state employee implicated in the cover up, Forest Ashby, was also released from his contract yesterday by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board as a part of the fall out from the email. Raoul’s office and the State Police have made no comments about whether they will investigate further into the case.