Illinois Senator Emil Jones III took the stand in his own defense on Tuesday as his bribery trial wound to a close, stating that he has “always wanted to be a state senator like my father.”
The son of former Senate President Emil Jones Jr. provided jurors with a lesson in Springfield 101 during his testimony.
He recounted his past experience selling license plates for the Illinois Secretary of State and acknowledged his interest in flight school during the summer of 2019, details which jurors have heard about through secret FBI recordings.
However, Senator Jones III only brushed against the specifics of the case against him when he discussed red-light cameras.
He informed jurors that he once saw a report indicating a red-light camera could generate over $50,000 from traffic violations in just one day.
Jones III claimed that companies were making “millions and millions of dollars” from these cameras.
At least one juror in the case voiced complaints about red-light camera tickets during the jury selection process.
The senator, who filed a bill in February 2019 viewed by a red-light camera executive as detrimental to business, is expected to continue his testimony on Wednesday morning.
This follows the prosecution’s conclusion of their case against him after calling five witnesses over a five-day period.
After Jones III completes his testimony, the lawyers are expected to proceed with closing arguments.
Jones III’s decision to testify seems to suggest a new trend among public corruption defendants at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
Notably, he took the stand just three months after former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan made a similar move in his own trial earlier this year.
Members of Jones III’s defense team likely believe that testifying is his best option before the case is handed over to the jury.
However, this strategy carries inherent risks; if convicted, prosecutors could accuse him of perjury, potentially leading to an enhanced sentence.
Madigan’s trial concluded in a split verdict, with jurors convicting him of bribery conspiracy while failing to reach consensus on a broader racketeering charge.
Despite the split, Madigan is still facing sentencing in June, with prosecutors having already indicated to jurors that he lied to them.
In this latest trial, prosecutors allege that Jones III agreed to shield red-light camera businessman Omar Maani in the Illinois Senate in exchange for $5,000 and a job for a former intern of Jones.
The intern reportedly received $1,800 despite not performing any work.
Jones III has served in office since 2009, having succeeded his father’s Senate seat following the elder Jones’s retirement in 2008.
On the stand on Tuesday, Jones III noted that he “never had an opponent” contest him in his races.
He shared with the jury that he was a member of four committees in 2019, which included chairing the Licensed Activities Committee and being a member of the Transportation, Local Government, and Education committees.
When asked for specific examples of issues that would come before the transportation committee, Jones III mentioned the “red-light camera bill.”
He explained that former Senate President John Cullerton supported red light cameras “to increase safety,” but acknowledged that his constituents often ended up receiving tickets.
Prosecutors have also accused Jones III of lying to the FBI during his interviews.
Earlier on Tuesday, jurors were presented with a recorded interview between Jones III and FBI agents that took place on September 24, 2019.
In the interview, Jones III admitted to discussing matters that summer with Maani and then-state Senator Martin Sandoval.
However, he adamantly denied that he and Maani ever agreed on a specific amount for Maani to donate to his campaign.
“Did Omar say, like, ‘Hey, you know, what’s it gonna take?’” FBI Special Agent Timothy O’Brien questioned during the interview.
“Did you guys come up with an amount that he was going to donate for a fundraiser or anything like that?”
“No, no, no,” Jones III responded.
Nevertheless, jurors have also listened to a recorded conversation between Jones III and Maani from July 2019, where Jones III stated, “If you can raise me five grand, that’d be good.”
Additionally, Jones III told the FBI in September 2019 that he “didn’t imply the bill would go away” if Maani hired the former intern.
This statement appears to contradict a separate recording played for jurors, wherein Maani told Jones in August 2019 that he would assist the intern “100%.”
“And like I said before,” Maani continued, “if you could just help me out with the, ah, the study to make it to Chicago.”
“You’re good,” Jones III responded to Maani at the time.
Overall, the trial of Jones III has highlighted the raw nature of Illinois politics that has frequently been captured by FBI cameras over the past decade.
It has revealed insights into the relationship between Jones III and the former intern, Christopher Katz, who had worked for him in 2014 and 2018.
The two exchanged text messages late one night in July 2019, during which the ex-intern sought financial support from Jones III while he was at a strip club.
At the time, Jones III was 41 years old and had been in office for a decade, while Katz was notably younger at 23.
“I want to hang out with u,” Jones III had texted Katz shortly after 10 p.m. on July 6, 2019.
Just after 2 a.m. on July 7, Katz replied that he was still at the club.
“I want to see u after,” Jones III texted back.
Jones III explained to the jury that he would hire interns “every summer,” stating that he had extra funds in his budget and thought the best use of that money was to benefit his constituents.
Jurors have also heard from one of the federal government’s most prolific undercover informants, Maani, who admitted to providing “benefits” to multiple public officials across Chicago’s suburbs.
He wore a wire for the FBI and reached a deal with prosecutors that spared him from a conviction.
Maani asserted on the stand that he did not give money voluntarily to officials.
“They always asked me for money,” he told the jury.
“I capitulated, and I agreed to give it to them after they asked me.”
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