(The Center Square) – A Central Illinois state lawmaker and her husband, both being tried in federal court for charges related to her time in office, want to delay their prosecution until after the general election in November.
Following pretrial hearings for discovery, lawyers for State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Champaign, and her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, seek new dates in their federal trial, citing the upcoming election.
Court records show the duo’s final pretrial hearing is scheduled for election day, Nov. 3, followed by a trial start date of Nov. 17, the deadline for ballots to be counted in the state and when lawmakers return to Springfield for their fall session.
In a motion filed Aug. 24, J. Steven Beckett, lawyer for Aaron Ammons, wrote that the scheduled dates “directly conflict with Defendant Ammons's responsibilities as an elected official serving the citizens of Champaign County.”
Lawyers for the state representative joined in asking the court to reschedule in another filing Aug. 28, also citing Aaron’s duty as county clerk and requesting “any other relief the Court deems appropriate.”
Mutaquee Akbar, one lawyer for Carol Ammons, said they maintain innocence regardless of whether they feel the Ammonses were prosecuted for political reasons outside the court in July.
“We can't ignore that that's probably present just based off of the work that Rep. Ammons has done for the last 12 years. But we can't – we don't know the specifics enough to really detail that part,” Akbar said. “We maintain her innocence whether they’re coming after her for political reasons or any other reasons.”
The lawmaker faces an additional investigation by members of the Illinois House, which determined it would await guidance from the federal district attorney presiding over the legal case before proceeding.
Carol and Aaron Ammons were charged with multiple counts of wire fraud and obstruction of justice respectively, stemming from an FBI investigation into the couple.
The lawmaker is alleged to have misused campaign funds and conducted a kickback scheme – when state grant money was given to nonprofits in the district employing their daughter, Titianna Ammons.
Titianna Ammons is also being tried in the Central District of Illinois for unrelated charges.
Chief District Judge Colin Stirling Bruce, overseeing the daughter's case, recused himself from the parents' case, with Judge Colleen R. Lawless now presiding over their case.
As reported by The Center Square, supporters of the Ammonses appeared alongside them after their first court appearance, where they both maintained their innocence.
Kamm Howard, a reparations advocate from Chicago who said he was creating a defense fund for them, tied the prosecution of the couple to the lawmaker’s attempts to legislate reparations for the African-American descendants of slaves outside the court in July.
“This prosecution does not arise in a political vacuum. For generations, the United States government largely ignored or delayed or simply opposed the demand for reparations for black Americans. We are now witnessing a disturbing change from passive resistance to active federal enforcement against reparations initiatives,” Howard said.
In both of the officials’ campaign filings, contributions have largely stopped, save for one $1,000 contribution to the lawmaker. Neither official has reported using campaign funds for ongoing legal costs, which they are allowed to use for such purposes.
The legal defense fund reportedly set up by Howard does not appear to be taking public donations through its website.
Carol Ammons’s lawyers didn’t respond to a request for comment regarding the court dates, and Beckett wouldn't speak to the filings on the record.
