CHICAGO, IL — Questions have mounted around Illinois state Rep. Hoan Huynh after people in the 13th Legislative District began asking NBC Chicago where he had gone. Constituents said they could not reach him, his district office was no longer operating, and he had missed several votes in Springfield.
Huynh, a Democrat, is still collecting his $98,000 taxpayer-funded salary. NBC Chicago tracked him down after the complaints, and Huynh later agreed to answer questions on the record after a series of text exchanges.
District office closed as constituents say they could not reach him
When NBC Chicago called the number listed for Huynh’s district office, a staffer eventually answered and said the office had been shut down for public safety reasons. The staffer said the representative no longer has a traditional district office, but constituents can still reach him by email.
According to that staffer, someone is supposed to respond within 48 hours. If in-person help is needed, the staffer said Huynh would arrange office hours at a coworking space in the same building. The office closure became a major part of the frustration for people who said they had trouble getting help from their representative.
Ward leader says Huynh stopped showing up after his congressional run
Paul Rosenfeld, the Democratic committeeman for Chicago’s 47th Ward, said he believes Huynh stopped doing his job after a failed campaign for Congress last spring. Rosenfeld said people with urgent problems have been unable to get in touch with the lawmaker…