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2w ago

Bribery Trial of Illinois State Sen. Emil Jones III Begins with Key Witness Expected to Testify

Opening statements have been delivered, and FBI mole Omar Maani is set to present secret recordings central to the case.

Omar Maani, FBI mole and former co-owner of SafeSpeed LLC, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago after testifying in state Sen. Emil Jones III's trial on April 9, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
State Sen. Emil Jones III, right, arrives at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse for the jury selection on his bribery trial on April 7, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Omar Maani, who was co-owner of SafeSpeed LLC, could see bribery conspiracy charges against him dismissed as part of a deal cut with federal prosecutors, attorneys revealed in court on Sept. 4, 2020.

Overview

  • State Sen. Emil Jones III is accused of accepting $5,000 and other perks from a red-light camera company executive in exchange for legislative assistance.
  • A jury of 12 members and 2 alternates was finalized after two days of questioning, marking the start of the first federal trial of a sitting Illinois politician in over a decade.
  • Former SafeSpeed LLC executive Omar Maani, who cooperated with the FBI, is expected to testify about secret recordings he made of discussions with Jones regarding the alleged bribe.
  • One recording allegedly captures Jones stating, 'You can raise me five grand. That’d be good,' during a dinner in July 2019.
  • If convicted, Jones could face up to 10 years in prison, mandatory resignation, and the loss of his future pension under Illinois law.