Rep. Carol Ammons and Aaron Ammons plead not guilty
The not-guilty pleas were the opening acts in federal court following the indictment last week of the political power couple. State Representative Carol Ammons is charged with eight counts of federal wire fraud, one count of providing a false statement to an FBI agent, and one could of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, is charged with one federal court of conspiracy to obstruct justice and one count of obstruction of justice. The not-guilty pleas were entered on Thursday, July 16.
In line with criminal procedure, the Ammons pleas were entered this week before a federal magistrate. The case will now move through discovery towards trial before a federal judge. While a jury trial on these federal counts has been tentatively set to begin on September 22, 2026, the overall schedule of federal criminal justice, particularly but not limited to criminal discovery, points to one or both sides asking for one or more continuances in the case. There is a significant possibility that no trial will take place on these charges until 2027 or later. In the meantime, Carol Ammons remains a sitting Illinois state lawmaker with the power to cast votes in the Illinois House of Representatives. This will continue to be the case until she is expelled from office, resigns from office, or until she is acquitted or the case is dropped.
House Republicans initiated a Special Investigatory Committee (SIC) to find the facts in the case and call for Carol Ammons to resign from her position.
- We must investigate the facts of each of these cases.
- We must change the culture that allows harassment to go unreported and covered up.
- We must have accountability so we can restore public trust. Federally-indicted officials should resign from office. They are held to a higher standard.
Former Rep. Harry Benton
House Republicans want to get to the truth of:
- Who knew this was happening?
- When did they know?
- Did they act quickly and appropriately to protect staff?
No matter how high this goes, we must have accountability, transparency, and reform.
While Welch covered up Benton’s harassment, Benton’s campaign collected $1,407,918 from Democrats for the IL House for his reelection.
Huge Toll Hike on Illinois Toll Highway System Gets Closer
The proposed new 57% increase in tollway rates on the Tri-State Addams, Reagan, and other toll roads would take effect on January 1, 2027. Proponents say these vast new toll revenues would finance a new $26.5 billion program to maintain and improve the infrastructure of the Illinois Toll Highway system. The proposed improvement program is tentatively scheduled to cover a 15-year construction time period, with continuous construction-related delays throughout this time.
The toll hike would create the highest burdens in history by an Illinois governmental body on drivers of cars, light trucks, and heavy trucks. Illinois Toll Highway charges would automatically increase from 7 cents a mile to 11 cents a mile. The great majority of the motorists who pay these tolls would be required to pay them electronically, with the charges levied on the basis of transponder chips embedded inside car decals that most Tollway drivers have mounted on their vehicles. No-decal motor vehicles are directed to pay tolls over the Internet, but they must pay an even higher rate for unchipped drive-throughs. The Illinois Toll Highway Authority will accept public comments on the proposed hikes until noon on Monday, August 3.
Illinois’ Unemployment Rate Remains Above 5%
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Thursday that the unemployment rate remained at 5.1 percent in June, unchanged from May, and up +0.8 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised May unemployment rate was 5.1 percent.
Total nonfarm payrolls saw a fourth consecutive over-the-month increase in June, up +1,500 (0.0%) to 6,164,400. The May monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +6,000 to +4,100. The June payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
Compared to a year ago, total nonfarm payroll jobs were up +9,200 jobs. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Private Education and Health Services (+14,900), Construction (+10,700) and Leisure and Hospitality (+6,900). The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases included: Financial Activities (-13,100), Professional and Business Services (-9,500), and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-7,300). In June, total nonfarm payrolls were up +0.1% over-the-year in Illinois and up +0.3% in the nation.
The number of unemployed persons in June was 329,700, down -2.0% from May, and up +16.1% over the same month one year ago. The labor force was down -0.3% from May and down -0.9% over-the-year.
“There’s no reason the state of Illinois should have a 5.1% unemployment rate,” Coffey said. “The policies we enact directly impact businesses and our economy, so I think lawmakers need to re-evaluate long-term solutions to create more jobs and grow our economy. We have the resources to allow businesses and workers to thrive, but we need less regulations are more doors that open to opportunity.”