Special investigation petition filed in Springfield after rep’s
indictment
[July 11, 2026]
By Sean Reed | The Center Square
(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 also charged with obstructing evidence.
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.
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The petition listing Rep. Ammons' charges will only be made public
after the first committee convenes.
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.
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