SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Governor JB Pritzker issued a following statement in response to misconduct allegations against two legislators.
“Integrity is essential to public service, and corruption for personal gain and abuse in private or public is unacceptable. Illinoisans deserve to have elected leaders who are focused on representing them - not on holding office when facing serious and credible charges.
Sen Jones is accused of accepting bribes. And Senator Hastings is accused of abusing women. They should answer the charges and have their day in court. But in the best interests of their constituents, these men must resign from their offices. Resigning only their leadership roles falls short of what the public should expect. I want to send a clear message to the people of Illinois: corruption and abuse have no place here.”
Sen. Michael Hastings' (D-Frankfort) wife told officers last year that, in 2020, he put her in a headlock and repeatedly slammed her into a door. Hastings has denied the accusations.
Sen. Emil Jones III is facing federal bribery charges as part of a years-long investigation involving the politically connected red-light camera company SafeSpeed LLC.
Jones, son of former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., is also charged with lying to the FBI.
The charges against Jones III point to a Senate bill filed in February 2019 requiring a statewide study of automated traffic law enforcement systems, including red-light cameras, NBC Chicago reports.
Investigators said Jones agreed that, in exchange for benefits from an individual with an interest in SafeSpeed, he would work to limit such studies to systems used in Chicago, “thereby excluding from study and recommendations automated traffic enforcement systems utilized in numerous other municipalities” served by SafeSpeed.
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