{"id":42197,"date":"2026-07-10T10:37:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T15:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?p=42197"},"modified":"2026-07-10T10:54:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T15:54:13","slug":"republicans-call-for-more-transparency-accountability-after-disgraceful-week-for-house-democrats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/42197-republicans-call-for-more-transparency-accountability-after-disgraceful-week-for-house-democrats\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans Call for More Transparency, Accountability After &#8216;Disgraceful Week&#8217; for House Democrats"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pdfprnt-buttons pdfprnt-buttons-post pdfprnt-top-right\"><a href=\"javascript: window.print()\" class=\"pdfprnt-button pdfprnt-button-print\" target=\"_self\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-print\/images\/print.png\" alt=\"image_print\" title=\"Print Content\" \/><span class=\"pdfprnt-button-title pdfprnt-button-print-title\">Print<\/span><\/a><\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, speaks on the House floor on May 21, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Democrat faces federal charges days after colleague resigns following internal investigation<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By BEN SZALINSKI<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capitol News Illinois<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"mailto:bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Article Summary<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After one House Democrat was indicted this week and another resigned amid an ethics investigation last week, House Republicans are calling for transparency and accountability.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Speaker Emanuel \u201cChris\u201d Welch kicked both members out of caucus and stripped them of leadership positions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The GOP says the incidents are further evidence that ethics reforms are needed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SPRINGFIELD \u2014 Illinois Republican lawmakers are calling on their Democratic counterparts to support ethics reforms establishing more accountability for lawmakers accused of wrongdoing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two Illinois House Democrats were publicly accused in the last week of inappropriate or criminal behavior. Former Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, resigned on July 3 after House Speaker Emanuel \u201cChris\u201d Welch, D-Hillside, said an internal ethics report revealed inappropriate behavior. Then on Wednesday, Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, was indicted on 10 federal corruption charges for allegedly misusing campaign and state funds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis has been another disgraceful week for the Illinois government, driven by conduct by members on the Democratic side of the aisle and the failure of leadership to demand real accountability,\u201d House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said at a news conference on Thursday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welch \u201ctemporarily\u201d booted Ammons from the House Democrats\u2019 caucus but did not call on her to resign while her criminal proceedings play out \u2014 a process that could take months or even years. Last Thursday, Welch called on Benton to resign after he said he reviewed a private report from the legislative inspector general finding Benton engaged in unspecified inappropriate behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Read more: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/news\/rep-harry-benton-resigns-withdraws-name-from-ballot-amid-ethics-investigation\/\"><b>Rep. Harry Benton resigns, withdraws name from ballot amid ethics investigation<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He told reporters in Springfield on Wednesday that he hasn\u2019t called for Ammons to resign because she is \u201cinnocent until proven guilty.\u201d He had also booted Benton from caucus while the investigation \u2014 which still hasn\u2019t been made public \u2014 played out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But McCombie said Welch isn\u2019t doing enough to hold alleged bad lawmakers accountable or discourage other lawmakers from engaging in similar behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe people of Illinois deserve answers,\u201d McCombie said. \u201cThey deserve accountability, and they deserve a legislature that is willing to police itself before another scandal forces its hands.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Investigating Ammons<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ammons, a state representative since 2015, was indicted on 10 felony charges Wednesday, including wire fraud, lying to an FBI agent and obstructing justice. Her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, was also charged with obstructing justice. Ammons\u2019 daughter, Titianna Ammons, was not charged in the scheme despite prosecutors alleging she was a beneficiary of her mom\u2019s illegal actions. Titianna Ammons is facing federal fraud charges in a separate case, however.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Read more: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/news\/state-rep-carol-ammons-indicted-for-scheme-to-receive-kickbacks-misusing-campaign-funds\/\"><b>State Rep. Carol Ammons indicted in scheme to receive kickbacks, misusing campaign funds<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prosecutors allege that starting in 2017, Ammons and her daughter \u201creceived financial benefits in excess of $100,000\u201d via a scheme including illegal payments from the \u201cFriends of Carol Ammons\u201d campaign account and from payments made to Titianna Ammons from local nonprofits that received state grant funds arranged by the lawmaker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McCombie called for a special investigative committee into Ammons, which could ultimately lead to her expulsion from the House. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilga.gov\/Uploads\/Rules\/House\/104th_House_Rules.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House rules<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allow for three members of any party to initiate such an investigative process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the House GOP could initiate that process without Democrats, they hadn\u2019t done so as of Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCriminal proceedings determine guilt or innocence,\u201d McCombie said. \u201cThe House determines whether its members are worthy of serving the people of Illinois. We may not be able to legislate bad behavior, but we can absolutely demand transparency, accountability, and meaningful penalty enhancements or consequences for those who betray the public&#8217;s trust.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such a committee was set up in 2019 to investigate ex-Democratic Rep. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/news\/arroyo-resigns-ahead-of-investigative-hearing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luis Arroyo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and in 2020 for longtime Democratic House Speaker <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/news\/after-republican-petition-special-committee-will-investigate-madigans-comed-ties\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mike Madigan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Arroyo resigned before his committee met, but Madigan\u2019s committee, chaired by Welch, declined to punish the former speaker after he was indirectly named in a court document accusing ComEd of bribery. Both men later went to prison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cShe\u2019s entitled to due process and I believe the court system is the proper place for that to happen,\u201d Welch said. \u201cHowever, we have processes in place that if they are invoked, we will use those processes. That is the right of our members.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Ethics reform\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Republicans have often used news of corruption indictments or convictions to call for ethics reform, they said the focus in light of Ammons\u2019 charges needs to be on preventing alleged lawbreakers from serving in the General Assembly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also said her case should inspire lawmakers to reform the budget process. Ammons allegedly directed state grants to nonprofits that would pay her daughter. One of those organizations, the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, received a $750,000 reappropriation from the Fund for Illinois\u2019 Future in the current year\u2019s budget. The fund is often used to finance initiatives in Democratic districts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf Democrats are going to include millions of taxpayer dollars and member-directed funding for local projects, they must also demand transparency, accountability, and rigorous oversight of every organization receiving those grants,\u201d Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, said. \u201cMany organizations that have appeared before House committees seeking taxpayer funding have been unable or unwilling to provide clear accounting of how public dollars were spent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welch told reporters layers of review already exist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere are processes in place; we got to make sure organizations go through several steps \u2014 at least 10 steps,\u201d Welch said. \u201cMembers have complained since I\u2019ve been speaker how slow things are and it\u2019s because we\u2019re taking them through all those steps that have been put in place to try to ensure things are done in a proper way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Republicans also said lawmakers need to hold more hearings exploring new ethics reforms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHaving such a super majority makes them feel like they are untouchable, and this stuff is going to continue to happen until the people of the state of Illinois realize that that these people think they&#8217;re untouchable,\u201d Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said in a statement lawmakers should give local prosectors wiretapping authority to investigate public corruption.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe people of Illinois do not deserve this continued embarrassment of having to wait for the feds to come in to investigate public corruption by their own state elected officials because the Democratic majority continues to sideline the Illinois Attorney General and local prosecutors from policing public corruption,\u201d Curran said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some measures Republicans have proposed include making LIG reports, such as the one into Benton, public 60 days after it\u2019s completed, banning lawmakers from using campaign funds for criminal defense and suspending pension benefits for public officials charged with felonies connected to their public responsibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hannah Meisel and Brenden Moore contributed.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/capitolnewsillinois.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capitol News Illinois<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, speaks on the House floor on May 21, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki) Democrat faces federal charges days after colleague resigns [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":42198,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Republicans Call for More Transparency, Accountability After &#039;Disgraceful Week&#039; for House Democrats - Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/42197-republicans-call-for-more-transparency-accountability-after-disgraceful-week-for-house-democrats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Republicans Call for More Transparency, Accountability After &#039;Disgraceful Week&#039; 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