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 day in court 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, sought new dates in their federal case.
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, a 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.
The pair were charged after an FBI investigation into the lawmaker surrounding misuse of election funds and an alleged kickback scheme.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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