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CHICAGO (WLS) — After nearly five days of testimony, state Sen. Emil Jones III’s federal corruption trial appeared to be nearing its end Tuesday afternoon – until the senator unexpectedly took the witness stand.
He got back on the stand Wednesday.
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In court, defense attorney Victor Henderson argued that his client did nothing wrong, as he tried for years to get a red-light camera study bill passed.
Jones, D-Chicago, has been charged with bribery and lying to FBI agents, when prosecutors say he allegedly agreed to accept a $5,000 campaign donation from a red-light camera company executive in exchange for help with legislation in Springfield and a part-time job for his former intern, which resulted in an $1,800 payment to the intern, who did no work.
The conversations were recorded.
During his testimony, the 46-year old lawmaker said he never asked the CEO of the red-light camera company SafeSpeed for a donation.
According to an FBI transcript, when the CEO brought up the possibility of a campaign contribution for a second time during a June 2019 dinner, Jones said, “I don’t give numbers. I’m not greedy.”
From the stand, Jones clarified, saying, “I didn’t say give me $5,000; I said raise me $5,000.”
Jones shared with the jury how his efforts to get his bill passed were stymied by the Transportation Committee, which was headed by state Sen. Martin Sandoval, until 2019 when the FBI raided his office and the investigation became public. Sandoval died in 2020 of a COVID-related illness.
While on the stand, Jones said of Sandoval, “He was kind of a bully in a way, a very intimidating kind of guy.”
Jones is the son of former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., who was in court for part of Wednesday’s proceedings.
Jones has remained in office since the September 2022 indictment and since winning a four-year term in an unopposed race.
When the defense rests, it’s expected that jones will face a rigorous cross-examination by prosecutors.
Closing arguments could begin as early as Thursday.
Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.
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