Federal jurors are presently examining the bribery case against Illinois Senator Emil Jones III, who has been in office since 2009, amid revelations of two distinct sides of his persona.
Previously, jurors had viewed incriminating video footage showing Jones socializing with fellow Senator Martin Sandoval and red-light camera executive Omar Maani at upscale steakhouses both in the city and in the suburbs.
However, on Friday, prosecutors unveiled evidence suggesting a more personal, and potentially compromising, aspect of Jones’ interactions — late-night text messages with Christopher Katz, a former intern who was 23 at the time.
“I want to hang out with u,” Jones texted after 10 p.m. on July 6, 2019.
Katz, who took the witness stand on Friday morning, initially sought to downplay his relationship with Jones.
Yet, the jury was shown a flurry of text messages exchanged between the two that extended late into the night.
These exchanges took place shortly before Jones asked Maani to assist Katz in securing a job with Roseland Community Hospital.
Katz mentioned to Jones that he “might be going to club sky11 tonight,” which Jones later learned was a gentleman’s club.
When Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri probed further, Katz confirmed its identity as a strip club.
The text conversations continued into the early hours of July 7, 2019, with Katz requesting Jones to send him $20 to cover the club’s entrance fee.
At one point during these exchanges, Katz texted, “I’m still here at sky11.”
Jones reciprocated with, “I want to see u after,” and Katz urged Jones to “come to the club.”
When asked if he had ever invited an employer to a strip club, Katz responded with a firm, “No.”
Katz also confirmed in court that Jones made efforts to help him land a position at Roseland Community Hospital, eventually facilitating his connection with Maani.
On July 25, 2019, Jones texted Katz, “Lol let me know when you get a call,” and added, “And when you do get the job, I wanna go to Steak 48!!!”
Prosecutors allege that Jones agreed to provide Maani with protection in the Illinois Senate in exchange for a $5,000 payment and a job for Katz.
In February 2019, Jones introduced a bill that could have triggered a statewide study of red-light cameras, a point of concern for Maani as it could have negatively impacted his business interests.
The purported arrangement began with two dinners held between Jones and Maani at the bustling downtown Chicago steakhouse, Steak 48.
The first dinner occurred on July 17, 2019, with the second following closely on August 8, 2019.
Throughout the trial, jurors have been privy to recordings of Jones gushing about the food at Steak 48 during multiple FBI captured video discussions, including some with Sandoval, who passed away in 2020.
The tapes were made by Maani, who admitted to bribing several officials across suburban Chicago and agreed to wear a wire for the FBI after they approached him in January 2018.
He ultimately brokered a deal with federal authorities that allowed him to evade even a conviction.
Prosecutors lodged charges against Jones in September 2022 using a legal document known as an information, which typically signals that a defendant is inclined to plead guilty.
Had Jones taken this route, the evidence of his relationship with Katz might have remained undisclosed.
During one dinner, Jones mentioned to Maani that his “main thing” was to “take care of my intern — that’s it.”
Maani assured Jones that he’d assist Katz in securing a job “100%” while later requesting Jones’ help with a study that would affect his business.
“You’re good,” Jones reassured Maani.
Prosecutors also asserted that Maani provided Katz with $1,800, despite Katz performing no work for him.
Kolluri revisited this topic during Katz’s testimony on Friday, asking him, “Did Mr. Maani end up giving you a job?”
Katz affirmed this, adding, “And did you receive payments for those jobs?”
“I did,” he testified, before Kolluri pressed on: “and did you do any work for Omar Maani during that time?”
Katz firmly replied, “No.”
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