Rep. Lou Lang steps down from leadership role amid allegations

State Journal-Register, The (Springfield, IL)

June 01--State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, resigned from his post as Deputy House Majority Leader on Thursday amid allegations of blackmail, sexual harassment and verbal abuse to a woman who worked as an advocate for the medical marijuana industry.

Lang, who on Wednesday night helped lead the House effort to ratify the anti-sex discrimination Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, called the allegations absurd and false.

Maryann Loncar, 51, a Plainfield-based private consultant and account executive, told reporters in the Capitol Thursday Lang retaliated against her for opposing him on medical marijuana-related legislation in 2013. At the time, she ran the non-profit advocacy group Mother Earth Holistic Health and was at one point CEO of Patient's Health Center.

"I have everything to lose by coming here in front of all of you," she said. "I've only come here because I know another legislator has been at the wrath of this man. But yet, she's not brave enough to come here and talk to everybody."

She also alleged Lang had once inappropriately touched her back below her waist and told her, "Does your husband know how lucky he is to have a wife like you?"

Loncar also alleged Lang called her at dinner once, saying "I would have dinner with you if you weren't with your husband."

Besides the sexual harassment allegation, Loncar said Lang had screamed at her over the phone and did everything he could to bar her from getting involved in the legislative process in Springfield.

She said that Lang also called her ex-husband, telling him "I can help you bury her if you want," which she took as a death threat.

"I was harassed, I was intimidated, I was humiliated and blackballed through all of this process," she said. "There are witnesses, many witnesses to this inappropriate behavior."

Loncar was joined at her news conference by Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton; Rep. Margo McDermed, R-Mokena; and Denise Rotheimer, a lobbyist who came forward with abuse allegations against Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago, last year.

"There were a lot of negative consequences that followed (my allegations), public scrutiny, victim blaming. I'm a master's student in my third year unable to get an internship. Googling my name is now not very positive, all for speaking the truth," said Rotheimer. "That's why Maryann deserves a lot of respect, support and credit for giving her testimony today."

Lang, 68, who has been a state representative for more than 30 years, held a press conference later Thursday, calling the allegations absurd and false.

"My priority was not helping those seeking to profit off medical marijuana, like, Ms. Loncar, who wanted a cannabis dispensary license for her company, Patient's Health Center, but, apparently failed at her money-making effort to secure a dispensary license," he said. "Because I refused to let the medical marijuana profiteers trump the interests of patients, I made some people mad. So be it."

He said he was for a non-profit version of medical marijuana, but Loncar said the bill outlining that system was problematic and rife with corruption.

Lang said that while he has stepped down from leadership positions, he will not resign his House seat and will seek re-election.

Lang was joined at his news conference by a number of legislators and lobbyists, including Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison; Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora; and Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago. They called for a fair investigation and added that Lang's resignations from the leader position and the legislative ethics committee, among others, showed integrity.

"I have never seen anything but a respectful Lou Lang. He has always been respectful whether we are in the Capitol or outside of the Capitol," said Willis.

Loncar called for an independent investigation into her claims. Lang and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, want the investigation to go through the legislative inspector general.

"I appreciate the courage it takes for individuals to come forward to share their experiences, and in doing so urge us all to do better," Madigan said in a statement. "Representative Lang has already requested that the legislative inspector general immediately conduct a full investigation of these allegations, and I'm hopeful she will conduct this investigation quickly and thoroughly.

Both Ives and Loncar are skeptical of the legislative inspector general handling the case. Julie Porter, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago, who was appointed to the role late last year after Rotheimer's allegations highlighted a long vacancy in the office. Porter's appointment runs through June 30.

"The bottom line is, complainants need rights and deserve to have their voices heard and their allegations fully investigated," Ives said. "The current process does not adequately allow for that. Nor does it hold offenders fully accountable. We will never end the culture of sexual harassment and abusive behavior in state government unless and until the adjudication process is fixed. It is ironic that the self-appointed champion of the Equal Rights Amendment finds himself at the center of these latest allegations."

Madigan is facing his own allegations regarding his staff members harassing people and other representatives.

Alaina Hampton, a former campaign consultant who accused a Madigan campaign staffer of harassment, was dismayed by the female representatives standing by Lang.

"Rep. Lang's press conference today was a perfect example of why victims don't come forward," she said in a statement. "To see so many Democratic women standing with and singing the praises of a powerful man, just hours after he was accused of harassment, in an effort to undermine his accuser, was truly disheartening. To the women who stood with Rep. Lang today -- think about what message you sent to all of us who have been victimized by men in power in Springfield."

Contact Maximilian Kwiatkowski: 788-1530, [email protected], twitter.com/MSFKwiat.

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