Illinois House Republicans filed the paperwork Friday to initiate a special investigating committee to look into the conduct of recently indicted state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Champaign.

Ammons is alleged to have conducted a kickback scheme where state-funded grants were given to nonprofits in her district, two of which directly employed her daughter.

The indictment also alleges she used campaign funds for personal expenditures, and she faces a count of witness tampering, along with her husband, Aaron Ammons.

House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said Wednesday he is concerned about Ammons’ alleged conduct, but he wasn’t sure about a special investigative committee yet.

“She's entitled to due process, and I believe that the court system is the proper place for that to happen. However, we have processes in place that, if they are invoked, we will use those processes,” Welch said.

A group of 11 members of the Republican caucus filed a petition under House Rule 91, which allows the creation of such a committee after a petition is filed to the House Speaker and Minority Leader.

The investigative committee will consist of three members appointed from each party, with one chosen by Welch to serve as the chairperson.

In a statement Friday, the Speaker’s Office said Rep. Curtis Tarver II, D-Chicago, will be appointed to chair the committee.

Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Belleville, and Rep. Lilian Jiménez, D-Chicago will be the other Democrat appointees.

“At my direction, we took immediate action to uphold the integrity of the House, and the special investigating committee is another process to ensure the House responds appropriately and within our purview – while ensuring nothing we do interferes with the ongoing federal case,” Welch’s statement read.

None of the signatories of the petition are allowed to serve on the committee due to the same rule.

The petition will only be made public after the first public committee hearing begins.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie called Welch a "hypocrite" for not invoking an investigation after learning of the indictment.

“The speaker defended his position by saying the courts are the proper place for this matter because he believes in due process. But that has not always been his standard. He's a hypocrite,” McCombie said.

She said Welch has been inconsistent on investigations over the years, while calling for ethics reform.

“When Rep. Louis Arroyo was federally charged, Speaker Welch supported immediate House action through a special investigating committee,” McCombie said. “Yet, when it came time for former speaker Madigan, he opposed the same level of scrutiny and delayed action.”

Welch didn’t say he opposed any lawmakers filing a petition, but left it to members to decide.

“If those processes are invoked, we will use those,” Welch said.

After the committee concludes its investigation, it will produce a report listing each charge made against Ammons in the petition, along with any evidence found related to each charge and the full record of how the committee voted on each charge.

If the committee charges Ammons, a separate committee will be appointed and convened to determine if provided evidence proves wrongdoing.

They will then determine what punishment the lawmaker will face – such as a reprimand, censure, or expulsion from the House.

Ammons’ first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday morning in Urbana.