Illinois Senator Emil Jones III took the stand in a federal trial this week, asserting that he never struck a deal with a red-light camera executive to raise $5,000 for his campaign, despite recorded evidence suggesting otherwise. Jones was caught on camera telling Omar Maani, the executive in question, ‘If you can raise me five grand, that’d be good.’
In response to the evidence, Jones remarked, ‘That means anywhere between zero and five thousand.’
The South Side Democrat also claimed he had no intentions of abolishing red-light cameras. This contradicts the accusations that he promised to protect Maani from legislation proposed by former state Rep. David McSweeney, who wanted to eliminate the cameras. Jones testified, ‘I planned on doing what I always was doing.’
During his testimony, Jones insisted that a suggestion he made to Maani to hire a former intern, Chris Katz, was not part of a quid pro quo arrangement to alter legislation that Maani feared in Springfield. ‘I didn’t think of it as that,’ Jones stated, ‘The bill was dead.’
The veteran senator’s testimony spanned over five hours as he fought to maintain his freedom and career, with the trial now expected to extend into the next week. So far, his defense attorney has been the only one questioning him, but prosecutors are prepared to cross-examine Jones on Thursday. They have also indicated they might call additional witnesses once his defense team concludes their questioning.
Prosecutors allege that Jones agreed to protect Maani in exchange for $5,000 and a job for Jones’ ex-intern, Katz, who was paid $1,800 by Maani despite not performing any work. In February 2019, Jones filed a bill that could have prompted a statewide study of red-light cameras, which Maani perceived as detrimental to his business.
By that time, Maani was collaborating with the FBI. In January 2018, agents confronted him and convinced him to wear a wire, capturing conversations involving politicians like Jones. Among the recorded interactions were dinners shared between Jones and Maani at Steak 48 in downtown Chicago. Maani later secured a deal with prosecutors that protected him from a conviction for his connections to public officials across the suburbs.
Jones depicted himself as being at the forefront of a long-running battle to reform red-light cameras in Illinois during his testimony. He shared how he had to work with both Maani and former state Senator Martin Sandoval. Jones described Sandoval as a “bully” and Maani as a “used car salesman.” Sandoval has since pleaded guilty to his own corruption charges and passed away in late 2020.
During his testimony, Jones explained his history with Katz, emphasizing that he had known Katz and his mother for several years. In July 2019, Jones exchanged late-night text messages with Katz, during which Katz requested money and mentioned attending a strip club. In one text, Jones responded, ‘I want to hang out with u’ and ‘I want to see u after.’
At the time of these exchanges, Jones was 41 years old, while Katz was just 23. Jones clarified that the text messages were simply part of a conversation that occurred after an all-day event they attended, which concluded around 9 PM that evening, coinciding with the Fourth of July weekend.
“The event did not end until probably around 9 o’clock in the evening,” Jones testified. “I ended up going to another party with one of my colleagues, a representative. Chris went somewhere else.”
Turning back to the red-light cameras, Jones explained how, over the years, he consistently filed bills aimed at initiating studies regarding the cameras. He remarked that these initiatives were often stalled in the Transportation Committee, which was led by Sandoval, who he claimed operated the committee without proper discussions or input.
“We had no discussion,” Jones stated, “We had no witness testimony.”
Jones claimed that Sandoval would redirect his bills to a subcommittee where they would ultimately die. Seeking resolution, Jones approached then-Senate President John Cullerton for assistance.
While Jones collaborated with McSweeney, a Republican from the northwest suburbs, he emphasized that their goals were not aligned. McSweeney sought to eliminate red-light cameras entirely, whereas Jones wanted to ensure the city of Chicago adhered to the same regulations as suburban areas.
Eventually, Sandoval informed Jones that certain stakeholders opposed to his bill would need to be appeased to move it forward. He later found himself dining with both Sandoval and Maani at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse in Oak Brook.
During this dinner, Sandoval was noted discussing his past aspirations to become a priest. In jest, Jones remarked, ‘They did say, politicians and clergymen, priests — they’re all crooked. Damn.’
In court, Jones humorously described his realization about Sandoval’s past ambition as a priest, expressing disbelief, especially since he himself is Catholic and considered Sandoval unlikely to fit that role.
Post-dinner, Jones and Maani held two more meetings at Steak 48 without Sandoval. Jones often frequented the restaurant, which he expressed to jurors as a favorite dining location.
While Jones claimed to feel an air of skepticism surrounding Maani, questioning his motives, he continued the meetings due to Sandoval’s guidance. During their first meeting on July 17, 2019, Maani inquired how much he could ideally raise for Jones’s campaign. To this, Jones responded, ‘If you can raise me five grand, that’d be good.’
When Jones’s defense attorney asked for clarification on the five grand, Jones affirmed it was intended for ‘Friends of Emil Jones III,’ which meant his campaign.
Prosecutors argue that during the same dinner, Jones requested a job for Katz, which he believed would be appropriate given the students already employed by Maani’s company, SafeSpeed. Although SafeSpeed faces no allegations of wrongdoing, its executives contend that Maani was acting independently.
Jones’s further meeting with Maani on August 8, 2019, led to Maani stating he would help Katz ‘100%,’ then adding, ‘and like I said before, if you could just help me out with the, ah, the study to make it to Chicago.’ In response, Jones reassured him, ‘You’re good.’
Jones maintained that his assurance was simply part of his conversational style, emphasizing his desire for Katz to have a legitimate job and not an ‘under-the-table job.’
The ongoing trial raises significant questions about the intersection of campaign contributions, legislative actions, and ethical governance in Illinois’s political landscape.
image source from：https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-corruption-trials/2025/04/16/used-car-salesman-sen-emil-jones-iii-secret-fbi-cooperator
