By John Bowden, The Hill
A judge in Illinois has been accused by a state oversight board of inappropriate sexual conduct involving multiple women including a police officer and a prosecutor.
The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board has accused Judge Mauricio Araujo of making unwanted advances toward a female prosecutor working for the state as well as attempting to kiss a female police officer.
Among other instances of unwanted sexual behavior, Araujo allegedly attempted to kiss a Chicago police officer who stiff-armed him away while sternly telling him “back, sir.”
He also allegedly referred to a female prosecutor as “a bitch” and suggested to others that the two had sex. A court reporter also claimed that Araujo asked her “how much money” she would accept to have sex with him.
Araujo declined to comment when contacted by the Tribune. In their complaint, the Judicial Inquiry Board wrote that Araujo had brought “disrepute” to the state’s judicial system due to his inappropriate conduct “toward women with whom he has interacted in professional settings and in his official judicial capacity.”
Araujo’s misconduct was first reported by the Tribune last year, after which multiple women came forward with allegations. Thousands of administrative employees and hundreds of judges underwent mandatory sexual harassment training in October after the story was published.
The case has been referred to the Illinois Courts Commission, which handles adjudication of misconduct by judges in the state, for “appropriate” action, according to the Tribune.
This article originally appeared in The Hill.
