An Illinois Democrat state representative and her county clerk husband have pleaded not guilty after federal prosecutors charged the political power couple in an alleged scheme involving campaign money, state grants, payments to family members, and an effort to obstruct the resulting investigation. State Rep. Carol Ammons and Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons appeared in federal court Thursday morning to answer a combined 11 criminal counts. Both defendants were released ahead of trial and have denied the allegations against them.
The husband-and-wife politicians have both held public office in the Champaign-Urbana area for years. Carol Ammons represents Illinois’ 103rd House District, while Aaron Ammons serves as the elected clerk of Champaign County. A federal grand jury indicted the couple one week before their July 16 arraignment, accusing the state representative of using her political positions and access to public funds to benefit herself and members of her family.
Carol Ammons faces eight counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. Prosecutors also charged both Carol and Aaron Ammons with one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, while Aaron Ammons separately faces an additional obstruction count. Most of the charges carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to prosecutors, though the couple has not been convicted and the allegations will now move through the federal court system.
The indictment alleges that Carol Ammons improperly used money from her campaign fund to pay her daughter and then submitted “materially false” paperwork to the Illinois State Board of Elections to conceal what prosecutors described as an unethical use of campaign funds. As IPM Newsroom reported, prosecutors further allege that the Democrat lawmaker directed state grant money toward organizations that paid her daughter and took steps to obtain illegal cash payments from other organizations.
Federal authorities claim Aaron Ammons later conspired with his wife to interfere with the investigation into the alleged financial misconduct. The available report does not provide the detailed actions underlying every obstruction allegation, but Aaron Ammons has pleaded not guilty to both counts against him. U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric Long granted both defendants pretrial release and initially scheduled the case for trial on September 22 before Chief U.S. District Judge Colin Bruce. Long warned that the trial date could change as attorneys review discovery and prepare the case.
Speaking outside the courthouse with her husband, attorney, and supporters, Carol Ammons denied the accusations and said she intended to contest them in court. “I maintain that these allegations are not true,” the state representative said. “And I look forward to responding to them through the legal process where the facts can be fully examined.” Her attorney, Mutaqee Akbar, said the defense had not yet received the discovery or reviewed the government’s evidence beyond the allegations contained in the indictment.
The charges have already affected Ammons’ position within the Illinois House Democratic Caucus. She was temporarily removed from Democratic caucus meetings and legislative committees, and an Illinois House committee is expected to conduct its own investigation. Akbar said the defense may attempt to delay the legislative proceeding so it does not interfere with the federal case. “We don’t want that proceeding to get in the way of this proceeding, so we’re looking into that process,” he said. “And hopefully we can postpone that, so we can focus our attention on our due process rights in federal court.”
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Supporters have established a legal defense fund for the couple, with Reparations United Director Kamm Howard claiming the prosecution could be retaliation for Carol Ammons’ support of reparations-related policies. Akbar said such a possibility could be considered but acknowledged that the defense had not yet reviewed the government’s evidence. “I think that’s always present in these kind of cases, but at this stage, we haven’t even seen the discovery or the evidence,” he said. “We just have the indictment.”
Both politicians are also continuing their reelection campaigns while the federal case proceeds. Carol Ammons is running unopposed for another term representing the 103rd District, while Aaron Ammons faces Republican Alan Anderson in November. The county clerk has indicated that he plans to remain in office during the judicial process, and Carol Ammons said she does not intend to leave the ballot. “I look forward to continuing my process and continuing to work for the people of the 103rd district,” she said.
Watch a report on another big case of Democrat familial corruption here: