The Illinois Attorney General's office says a settlement in the workplace retaliation lawsuit against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth is final and the plaintiffs can't back out even if no paperwork was signed.
The two women who sued Duckworth said this week they wanted out of the agreement because they felt the congresswoman was tarnishing their reputations by calling their allegations false. But Attorney General spokeswoman Maura Possley said Thursday the agreement reached last month with a judge is final.
Duckworth faces Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in a November election.
Duckworth denies the allegations from Christine Butler and Denise Goins that she violated ethics laws by reprimanding them when Duckworth led the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.