Prairie State Wire

The House Executive Committee unanimously voted to recommend the appointment of Carol Pope, its new legislative inspector general, to begin next month.

Pope, a retired judge with the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court, was named to the position in December, but the legislature had to vote on her appointment, according to the State Journal-Register.

The committee voted in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 17, which was spearheaded by Reps. Avery Bourne (R-Raymond), Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Westchester), Kathleen Willis (D-Northlake), Natalie A. Manley (D-Joliet), Norine K. Hammond (R-Emmet Township), Tim Butler (R-Springfield), Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) and Keith R. Wheeler (R-Oswego) in the House.

Carol Pope | isba.org

"Carol Pope is very highly qualified," Bourne said at the committee hearing. "We’ve been impressed with her work as a judge and by her experience teaching those in the judiciary about ethics."

Butler said he has known Pope for a long time.

"She’s a great person and this is a wonderful pick," he said. "I think she’ll do a great job in this role."

Willis said the entire commission supported this appointment unanimously.

"I think it’s a good step forward for us," he said. "I strongly urge the entire body to support this resolution."

Before becoming a judge, Pope was a Menard County state’s attorney for seven years, according to the State Journal-Register. Pope will take over March 1 for a term that ends June 30, 2023.

Earlier this month, the Legislative Ethics Commission recommended Pope's appointment, according to Capitol Fax.

The legislative inspector general investigates wrongdoing in the legislature, including fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance, misfeasance, malfeasance or violations of laws and rules. She can only investigate alleged wrongdoing by current and former members of the General Assembly and their staffs, and employees of the Senate Operations Commission and the Joint Committee on Legislative Support Services, according to the Illinois General Assembly website.