An Illinois state representative and her husband, the Champaign County Clerk, are facing federal criminal charges.
A federal grand jury has indicted State Representative Carol Ammons, a Democrat from Urbana, on multiple counts of wire fraud and making false statements. Her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, is charged with obstruction of justice.
Federal prosecutors allege in public indictment documents that beginning in 2017, Carol Ammons orchestrated a scheme to improperly benefit herself and members of her family by misusing campaign funds and directing state grant money to nonprofit organizations that later paid her daughter. Prosecutors allege the scheme resulted in more than $100,000 in financial benefits to the family.
The indictment also alleges campaign finance reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections concealed improper expenditures, and that Aaron Ammons attempted to interfere with the federal investigation by misleading witnesses and obstructing investigators.
The charges follow a separate federal indictment filed last month against the couple’s daughter, Titianna Ammons, who is accused of fraudulently collecting COVID-era unemployment benefits. She is not charged in the new indictment but is identified by prosecutors as playing a role in the alleged financial scheme.
Illinois Public Media reports that Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch called the allegations “extremely serious” and announced Representative Ammons has been temporarily removed from House Democratic caucus meetings, committee assignments, and access to Speaker’s Office staff and resources while the case proceeds.
Capitol News Illinois reports that Republican House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, of Savanna, however, called on Ammons to “resign immediately” and criticized Welch for not doing the same.
Neither Carol nor Aaron Ammons has publicly commented on the allegations beyond citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
Capitol News Illinois reports that this isn’t the first time that the Ammons’ have faced serious legal troubles. Representative Ammons has previously faced an alleged theft of a Coach purse at a secondhand store in 2020, though a special prosecutor ultimately declined to press charges against her. In 2015, Aaron Ammons was granted a pardon from departing Gov. Pat Quinn for a 1990s-era drug-related conviction, clearing the way for him to run for office.