Illinois State Rep. Carol Ammons, (D-Urbana), has been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple felony charges, including wire fraud, making false statements and conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to an indictment unsealed this week. Her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, was also charged in the case.
Federal prosecutors allege Carol Ammons used campaign donations and contributions for personal benefit and participated in a scheme involving state grant funding that financially benefited members of her family.
The indictment includes eight counts of wire fraud against the longtime state lawmaker. Prosecutors also allege Carol and Aaron Ammons provided false information to federal investigators and attempted to interfere with the FBI’s investigation.
According to the indictment, Carol Ammons helped secure state funding for local organizations and allegedly directed grant resources to groups that ultimately benefited her family. Prosecutors contend one grant recipient employed her daughter, creating what investigators described as an impermissible conflict of interest under Illinois law.
The charging documents further allege that campaign funds were converted to personal use and that the defendants took steps to conceal their actions from election authorities and law enforcement. Federal investigators also accuse the couple of attempting to influence how a potential witness communicated with investigators during the probe.
The indictment comes about a month after the couple’s daughter, former Champaign County Board member Titianna Ammons, was separately indicted on unrelated federal wire fraud allegations involving unemployment benefits.
In response to the charges, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie called for Ammons to step down immediately.
“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,” McCombie said.
“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.”
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch stopped short of calling for Ammons’ resignation but announced several immediate actions in response to the indictment.
“The allegations in this indictment are extremely serious. Every person under our system of justice is entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process. The U.S. Attorney will lay out evidence in court, where Representative Ammons will have the chance to defend herself against the allegations,” Welch said.
“In the interest of upholding the integrity of the House and ensuring we can continue our important work without distraction, I am taking the following actions immediately while this case is pending: I am temporarily removing Representative Ammons from any and all House Democratic Caucus meetings, from all House committees, and from accessing Speaker’s Office staff and resources. Additionally, I directed my staff to review the budget to determine whether any funds need to be paused or reconsidered.”
Court records indicate Carol and Aaron Ammons are scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court later this month. The case will proceed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
Ammons, who has represented the Urbana-area 103rd House District since 2015, remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
