The chief of staff to powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan abruptly resigned Wednesday after an employee accused him of lewd comments and of mishandling complaints of sexual harassment.

Sherri Garrett, a $42,000-a-year account technician for the House, told a news conference in Chicago that Timothy Mapes brushed aside her complaints of lawmakers’ harassment of her and other women on at least two occasions.

She said he made sexually laced comments to her at least twice and joked about sexual-harassment training and women’s protests against mistreatment. The incidents occurred between the spring of 2013 and just a few weeks ago, she said.

“We have a serious and pervasive problem in our state government, and I could no longer remain silent about my own mistreatment ...,” Garrett said. “We need to force fundamental change — not just lip service, not a quick-hit solution, but real cultural transformation.”

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