(a) An employment agency that violates any of the provisions of this Act or any rule adopted under this Act shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $6,000 for violations found in the first audit by the Department. Following a first audit, an employment agency shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for each repeat violation found by the Department within 3 years. For purposes of this subsection (a), each violation of this Act, for each day the violation continues, shall constitute a separate and distinct violation. In determining the amount of a penalty, the Director of Labor shall consider the appropriateness of the penalty to the employment agency or employer charged, upon the determination of the gravity of the violations. For any violation determined by the Department to be willful which is within 3 years of an earlier violation, the Department may revoke the license of the violator, if the violator is an employment agency.
     (b) An employment agency that willfully violates any of the provisions of this Act or any rule adopted under this Act, or obstructs the Department, its inspectors or deputies, or any other person authorized to inspect places of employment under this Act shall be liable for penalties up to double the statutory amount.
     (c) The Director of Labor may adopt rules in accordance with Section 12 of this Act for the conduct of hearings and collection of penalties assessed under this Section. Penalties assessed under this Section, when determined, may be recovered in a civil action brought by the Director of Labor in any circuit court. In any such action, the Director of Labor shall be represented by the Attorney General.