An Illinois state senator, the son of former president Barack Obama’s “political godfather,” is facing bribery charges over his role in a scandal with a red-light camera company.
Influential state Sen. Emil Jones III (D) is accused of accepting a $5,000 bribe from SafeSpeed LLC, a red-light camera company, in exchange for shielding the company from legislation that sought to test the effectiveness of the systems, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Specifically, Jones promised that a February 2019 bill that called for a statewide study of automated traffic law enforcement systems would be limited to the Chicago area and exclude SafeSpeed’s systems from the study, officials allege. Jones is also charged with lying to the FBI about the affair the same year. He is expected to plead guilty.
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Jones’s father, Emil Jones Jr., has been described as Obama’s political godfather for serving as his mentor during his tenure in the Illinois Senate. Jones Jr. served in the position for 35 years before appointing his son to his seat in 2009. He has run unopposed since 2012.
Jones Jr. defended his son.
“The charges brought against my son, Emil Jones III, do not reflect the man he is. Everyone knows he is an honest, hardworking legislator,” he said, according to CBS News. “I intend to fight with him and stand alongside him throughout this process.”
The scandal has implicated several other major Illinois political figures, but SafeSpeed has so far avoided any charges, portraying the man accused of making the backdoor deals for the company, partner Omar Maani, as a rogue actor.
“The criminal activity of a few individuals does not and should not reflect the values and integrity of SafeSpeed, its employees, and its clients. SafeSpeed built its business on integrity and ethics, and it holds its employees and representatives to the highest standards of conduct and ethics. SafeSpeed has long since terminated all contact with its former colleague and his associates,” SafeSpeed said in a statement. “SafeSpeed remains committed to continuing to assist Illinois municipalities in improving traffic safety. SafeSpeed fully supports the federal government’s investigation into public corruption and will continue to aid their efforts in any way it can.”
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Maani struck a deferred-prosecution deal agreement with the FBI in 2020, agreeing to cooperate with the bureau.
