Opinion ID: 2184597
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Respondent's Prior Testimony Before the Commission

Text: Respondent contends that his admittedly false testimony before the Commission is not sanctionable because the questions posed to him were ambiguous, because information concerning his private sexual relations was protected by the right of privacy, and because he later recanted his false testimony. We find no merit in any of these contentions. Respondent was clearly asked if he had ever had sexual relations with Jane Doe, to which he falsely responded no. Furthermore, to the extent that respondent's sexual conduct constituted an abuse of his professional position, that conduct took on a public concern. Finally, we observe that respondent did not voluntarily recant his false testimony, but rather recanted only when confronted with undeniable pictorial evidence that he had lied to the Commission. Under these circumstances, his false testimony is entirely inexcusable. We therefore approve the Hearing Board's findings that respondent violated Rules 8.1(a)(1), 8.4(a)(3), 8.4(a)(4), and 8.4(a)(5) of the Rules of Professional Conduct and Supreme Court Rule 771. 134 Ill.2d Rs. 8.1(a)(1), 8.4(a)(3), (a)(4), (a)(5), 771.