Another member of the House Democratic caucus appears to have been excommunicated.

Multiple sources told Capitol News Illinois that state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, has been told he is no longer welcome in caucus meetings.

Benton has also been stripped of his committee assignments.

A spokesman for House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, replied “no comment” when asked. Benton replied the same. It was not immediately clear why he was booted from the caucus.

A union ironworker, Benton was elected by less than 1,300 votes in 2022. His 97th State House District, which includes portions of Plainfield, Joliet and Naperville, and Shorewood, is one of the most competitive in the state.

In 2024, he defeated a well-funded challenge from Illinois Policy Institute staffer Gabby Shanahan by about 2,300 votes. Shanahan is challenging Benton again, and it was expected to be a “tier one” race. He is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

EXILE: Once hailing his caucus as “The Great 78,” Welch has purged three members during his tenure. Former state Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, was stripped of her leadership position and banned from caucus meetings for alleged poor treatment of staff and her colleagues. The speaker later backed a successful primary challenge to Flowers.

And last year, state Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, was stripped of his committee chairmanships and expelled from the caucus for working on a budget plan independent of and unauthorized by House Democratic leadership. Crespo is running unopposed in the Democratic primary and is heavily favored to win the November election.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.