Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.With Springfield still in the middle of a sweeping federal corruption probe that most recently saw convictions in the, Illinois lawmakers, under pressure to act on ethics reform, passed a measure seeking to curb abuses tied to the red-light camera industry.
Under the bill now on Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk, companies that provide equipment or services for automated traffic law enforcement such as red-light cameras, automated speed enforcement, or automated railroad crossings are prohibited from making “a campaign contribution to any political committee established to promote the candidacy of a candidate or public official.
Additionally, county and local officials would be prohibited from going to work for or receiving compensation from red-light camera companies for two years after leaving office, which is much stronger than the six-month prohibition on state lawmakers becoming lobbyists that just took effect this year.“Illinoisans deserve to be able to trust their elected officials aren’t being influenced by campaign contributions,” Democratic Sen.
Among those voting yes on the bill in the Senate was Chicago Democratic Sen. Emil Jones III, who last year was hit with federal bribery charges alleging he took $5,000 from a red-light camera company executive to kill legislation requiring traffic studies for automated camera systems,Jones has pleaded not guilty. He won reelection in November in an uncontested race.
In 2019, a federal raid on the statehouse office of Jones’ former Senate colleague, Chicago Democrat Martin Sandoval, led to Sandoval pleading guilty to a bribery charge and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. Sandoval died in late 2020 of COVID-19 complications.