CORRUPTION/ETHICS
The Ammons Family: A Pattern of Corruption
In the span of just over a month, three members of a Champaign County family have been indicted on federal charges including pandemic/unemployment fraud, wire fraud, making a false statement and obstruction charges.
On July 7, the latest federal criminal indictments were filed, this time against Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, a former drug dealer, and his wife, State Representative Carol Ammons, who has served as Democrat State Representative of the 103rd District since 2015, on a series of criminal charges.
The latest indictments against Carol & Aaron Ammons include wire fraud, making a false statement to the FBI, and obstruction charges, as well as receiving alleged personal cash kickbacks.
Controversy has continuously dogged the Ammons’ public service:
- Rep. Carol Ammons arrested (though, not charged) for shoplifting a purse from a local charitable resale store
- County Clerk Aaron Ammons served prison time for dealing hard drugs before receiving a pardon from Governor Pat Quinn
- Their daughter, Champaign County Board member and Chief Deputy Circuit Clerk Titianna Ammons, stands accused by the US Department of Justice of unemployment benefit fraud between October 2020 and October 2021.
Despite these many, recent corruption cases, Illinois Democrats who control the state legislature still refuse to pass the meaningful ethics reform necessary to stop the grift in Illinois politics and restore trust in government for the people of Illinois.
Grievously, since Michael Madigan was removed as Speaker, House Democrats have allowed only one ethics-related bill to pass. However, that new law (Public Act 102-664) was so watered down and filled with loopholes that the then Legislative Inspector General, Carol Pope, resigned in protest. This bill actually made it harder to investigate corruption. It is not reform when you tie the hands of the person tasked with investigating legislative corruption.
Meanwhile, House Republicans have served up bills to empower the Legislative Inspector General (Spain – HB 1382), improve lobbying regulation (Spain – HB 1384, HB 1385, Windhorst – HB 2413), enforce conflict of interest rules and prevent campaign funds from being used for criminal defense (McCombie – HB 1554).
McCombie: Rep. Carol Ammons Should Resign Immediately
I released the following statement after State Rep. Carol Ammons (Urbana) was indicted on fraud and obstruction charges:
“Public officials must be held to the highest ethical standards and Rep. Carol Ammons should resign immediately. Speaker Welch should join me in calling for her resignation. Leadership means holding your own members accountable, not waiting until political pressure becomes unavoidable.
“Elected officials are entrusted with serving the public, not enriching themselves, and the seriousness of these allegations demands accountability.
“House Republicans have consistently pushed for stronger ethics laws and greater accountability, while the Democratic majority has repeatedly blocked or ignored meaningful ethics reform. Illinois deserves better.”
House Republicans Demand Accountability in the Face of Corruption
I joined Representatives C.D. Davidsmeyer and Patrick Windhorst for a press conference to highlight the desperate need for accountability in the face of more corruption impacting the Illinois House of Representatives.
On Tuesday, Democratic State Representative Carol Ammons was indicted by a federal grand jury for her alleged ghost pay-rolling of her daughter and kickback schemes involving state grants she secured. Ammons is alleged to have used taxpayer money to enrich herself and her family, even going so far as to ask for her “gift” aka kickbacks repeatedly via text messages.
In response, I noted that “this is a clear pattern: self-serving politicians, weak oversight, closed-door decision-making, and a political culture that reacts only when convenient.
“Reform cannot wait for another scandal, or another indictment. Two scandals in the last week and the public is left with more questions than answers. It must begin today. Lawmakers must be held accountable, loopholes must be closed, and ethics reforms must be brought forward immediately.”
Special Investigating Committee to Begin
After our press conference last week, House Republican members followed through, and filed the paperwork to initiate a Special Investigating Committee on recently indicted State Representative Carol Ammons. In response, I released the following statement:
“State Representative Carol Ammons has been federally indicted on allegations of fraud, misuse of taxpayer-funded resources, and obstruction of justice. These are serious allegations that strike at the public’s trust in government.
“Democratic leadership has said the courts should handle this. The courts should absolutely do their job, but the Illinois House has a responsibility to do ours. Accountability in the legislature cannot be outsourced to the criminal justice system.
“That is why House Republicans are moving forward with a Special Investigating Committee. This is not about politics; it is about ensuring no elected official is above accountability and that the people of Illinois can have confidence in their government.”
House Democrats Plagued by Misconduct and Corruption Amid Growing Disarray
As House Democrats continue to face a growing list of ethics scandals involving members of their caucus, it is clear that this House Democratic Caucus continues to dissolve into disarray.
From allegations of corruption and misuse of taxpayer-funded programs to findings of unethical conduct by former members, House Democrats have failed to provide meaningful accountability while blocking ethics reforms that would hold public officials responsible.
Rep. Carol Ammons: Allegations of Corruption and Abuse of Public Trust
- Indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud, making false statements, and obstruction charges, where prosecutors allege she:
- Converted campaign contributions for personal use.
- Used campaign funds to pay herself and family members for services that were not legitimate
- Orchestrated cash kickback schemes by directing inflated payments to third parties who then returned money to her.
- Filed false campaign finance reports that concealed payments and misrepresented expenditures.
- Used her position as a state representative to help secure a $605,431 state grant for an organization that later employed her daughter.
- Financially benefited, along with her daughter, from state grant funds in violation of Illinois conflict-of-interest rules.
- Attempted to conceal the scheme from investigators and state authorities.
Rep. Harry Benton: Ethics Investigation Revealed Troubling Conduct
- Was the subject of a Legislative Inspector General investigation into allegations of behavior that was unbecoming of a legislator.
- The Inspector General found “clear patterns of conduct” that were “outrageous, unethical, and unbecoming of a member of the Illinois House.”
- Faced demands to resign or face expulsion proceedings.
- Ultimately resigned from the Illinois House following the ethics investigation.
While House Democrats are scrambling to deal with these ethics scandals involving their own members, House Republicans continue to advocate for stronger ethics laws, including:
- HB 1382 (Spain) – Allows Legislative Inspector General to issue subpoenas without prior approval and requires the Executive and Legislative Ethics Commissions to release the reports to the public within 60 days
- HB 1554 (McCombie) – Prohibits use of campaign funds for a criminal defense related to misconduct in capacity as a public official, any claims of sexual harassment, or any claims of discrimination
- HB 1727 (Elik) – Suspends pension benefits to public officials if they’re charged with a felony connected to their public service, and permanently withholds these funds upon conviction
Illinois families deserve confidence that elected officials are held to the highest ethical standards. House Republicans will continue pushing for accountability, transparency, and meaningful ethics reforms.
2ND AMENDMENT
In response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upholding firearm ban in a 2-1 decision, I released the following statement in response:
“I support the Second Amendment and the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners!
“The Seventh Circuit’s decision to uphold Illinois’ so-called “assault weapons” ban is deeply disappointing. This law punishes responsible gun owners instead of focusing on criminals, and it raises serious constitutional concerns.
“I remain hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will take up this issue and reaffirm that the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.
“Illinois families deserve laws that target violent criminals, not policies that restrict the rights of responsible citizens.”
Read more on the decision here: US Court of Appeals for 7th Circuit upholds Illinois assault weapons ban as Supreme Court takes up Chicago-area, Connecticut bans – ABC7 Chicago.
FAMILIES
You can kickstart your baby’s long-term savings with $1,000 Trump Accounts
As part of President Donald Trump’s pitch to the nation on affordability and a provision of Trump’s tax legislation, Trump Accounts are meant to give $1,000 to every newborn of parents who open an account. That money is then invested in the stock market by private firms, and the child can access the money when they turn 18. This new tool and benefit stands in addition to 529 savings plans, as another tool for long-term savings for children.
The investments will put money “in the hands of young Americans who otherwise have really started out with nothing,” Trump said. He also issued a call to action to employers to make matching Trump Account contributions for employees.
“Every president in modern history has left our children with nothing but debt,” Trump said. “But under this administration, we’re going to leave every child with real assets and a shot at financial freedom.”
Here’s what you need to know and how to claim an account for your eligible child.
Illinois Department of Early Childhood Officially Launches July 1 as New State Agency
The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) officially begins operations as Illinois’ first agency focused entirely on early childhood programs and services. The agency joins together programs previously administered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD).
IDEC was created through legislation signed by Governor JB Pritzker in June 2024. It is part of a broader effort to streamline services, improve coordination, and strengthen early learning systems statewide. These programs now operate within a single department dedicated to supporting families with children, especially those families prenatal through age five, the providers and workforces that serve them.
IDEC begins operations with 385 employees, including 340 from transferring agencies, and assumes the responsibility for administering over $4.3 billion in grants and direct services dedicated to supporting children and families across the state. Key priorities for the department include improving access to early childhood programs, reducing administrative complexity and burden, advancing equity, and strengthening partnerships with providers and communities.
UPCOMING EVENTS
I am excited to announce the following upcoming events! I hope to see you there:
