An indicted central Illinois state representative will remain in office while fighting federal fraud charges for allegedly taking kickbacks on campaign expenses and angling state grant funding to organizations that hired her daughter.
Three days after a grand jury handed down a 10-count indictment against state Rep. Carol Ammons, the six-term Urbana Democrat issued a written statement Friday asserting her innocence and her commitment to the job.
“I recognize that this news is deeply concerning to the people I have the privilege of serving, my supporters, my colleagues, and my community,” Ammons said. “Public service is built on trust, and I do not take that responsibility lightly.
“I want to be clear: I have done nothing wrong, and I strongly disagree with the allegations outlined in this indictment. I have complete confidence that the facts will demonstrate my innocence, and I intend to vigorously defend myself through the judicial process,” Ammons said.
Federal prosecutors say Ammons helped secure grant funding for a nonprofit that her daughter worked for until the House member was notified by state officials that it presented “an impermissible conflict of interest.”
Instead, Ammons helped other organizations that hired her daughter, “knowing full well it was a conflict of interest,” and netting the family more than $100,000 from 2017 to 2025, according to prosecutors.
Additionally, Ammons improperly paid family members out of her campaign fund, which also disbursed inflated payments to individuals who were expected “to provide cash kickbacks,” prosecutors said.
Ammons is unopposed in her bid for reelection this November in a race being overseen by her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons — who was charged in the same indictment with obstruction of justice for allegedly instructing a potential witness to “muddy the waters” for investigators. He’s up for reelection, too.
Rep. Ammons, who is scheduled for an initial court appearance next week, didn’t address her political future, but made clear she’s not going anywhere.
“I remain committed to serving the people of this district with integrity and transparency while this process moves forward,” Ammons said. “I ask for patience as the legal process unfolds, and I remain confident that the facts will ultimately speak for themselves.”
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, stripped Ammons of committee assignments and exiled her from House Democratic caucus meetings.
He called the allegations “extremely serious” but reiterated her right to due process — not enough for Republicans who are calling for her resignation and more stringent ethics reform in Springfield.
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, and members of her caucus filed a petition Friday to launch a special investigating committee on Ammons.
“The courts should absolutely do their job, but the Illinois House has a responsibility to do ours,” McCombie said in a statement. “Accountability in the legislature cannot be outsourced to the criminal justice system.”
Disgraced ex-Rep. Benton still holds township post
Rep. Ammons’ comments came a week after disgraced ex-state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, resigned from the Illinois House amid unspecified sexual harassment allegations.
But Benton hasn’t given up his other elected post as the $72,000-per-year highway commissioner of far southwest suburban Wheatland Township, where trustees on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution urging him to step down.
“We believe the events of the past several months have significantly undermined public confidence in township government,” supervisor Michael Crowner said. “This request is not made as a judgment on facts that remain confidential, but in recognition that public service depends upon the confidence of the people we serve. We believe the residents of Wheatland Township deserve leadership that is free from questions that cannot presently be answered publicly.”
Township officials haven’t received any complaints about Benton, who had been banished from House Democratic caucus meetings for almost five months before the legislative inspector general submitted a report on Benton’s conduct to Welch, prompting the resignation.
Officials haven’t outlined the allegations against Benton, nor has he addressed them. The bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission will decide whether to publicly release the report.