(The Center Square) – The Illinois House will convene a special investigative committee after 11 House Republicans filed paperwork Friday.
House Speaker Emmanuel “Chris” Welch announced the committee late Friday afternoon, saying the House will follow its rules while it investigates Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Champaign.
A federal grand jury indicted Ammons earlier this week on charges related to an alleged kickback scheme where state-funded grants were given to nonprofits in her district, two of which directly employed her daughter.
The indictment also alleges she used campaign funds for personal expenditures, and she faces a count of witness tampering, along with her husband, Aaron Ammons.
Welch said in a Friday statement that Ammons is entitled to due process.
“I’ve been very clear: The allegations against Representative Ammons are extremely serious, and every person is entitled to due process,” Welch said in a statement. “At my direction, we took immediate action to uphold the integrity of the House, and the special investigating committee is another process to ensure the House responds appropriately and within our purview – while ensuring nothing we do interferes with the ongoing federal case.”
Welch appointed Democrat Assistant Majority Leader Curtis J. Tarver II to chair the committee, along with Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman and Rep. Lilian Jimenez.
Republican Minority Leader Tony McCombie appointed Deputy Minority Leader Ryan Spain as spokesman, along with Assistant Minority Leader Dan Ugaste and Rep. Adam Niemerg.
Carol Ammons, and her husband Aaron Ammons, both denied wrongdoing to multiple media outlets. Aaron Ammons serves as the Champaign County Clerk.
Aaron Ammons is charged with obstructing justice.
A group of 11 members of the Republican caucus filed a petition under House Rule 91, which allows the creation of such a committee after a petition is filed to the House Speaker and Minority Leader.
None of the signatories of the petition are allowed to serve on the committee due to the same rule.
The petition listing Rep. Ammons’ charges will only be made public after the first public committee hearing begins.
McCombie called Welch a “hypocrite” for not invoking an investigation after learning of the indictment earlier this week.
“The speaker defended his position by saying the courts are the proper place for this matter because he believes in due process. But that has not always been his standard. He’s a hypocrite,” McCombie said.
She said Welch has been inconsistent on investigations over the years, while calling for ethics reform.
“When Rep. Louis Arroyo was federally charged, Speaker Welch supported immediate House action through a special investigating committee,” McCombie said. “Yet, when it came time for former speaker Madigan, he opposed the same level of scrutiny and delayed action.”
Welch didn’t say he opposed any lawmakers filing a petition, but left it to members to decide.
“If those processes are invoked, we will use those,” Welch said.
After the committee concludes its investigation, it will produce a report listing each charge made against Ammons in the petition, along with any evidence found related to each charge and the full record of how the committee voted on each charge.
If the committee charges Ammons, a separate committee will be appointed and convened to determine if provided evidence proves wrongdoing.
They will then determine what punishment the lawmaker will face – such as a reprimand, censure, or expulsion from the House.
Ammons’ first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday morning in Urbana.