State Rep. Thaddeus Jones — who also serves as mayor of Calumet City — paid tens of thousands of dollars to a criminal defense law firm in early 2025, according to newly filed campaign finance records. The payments come as Jones remains under a federal investigation into potential tax issues tied to his campaign funds, sources say.
More than three years ago, the U.S. attorney’s office issued a grand jury subpoena to the Illinois State Board of Elections seeking records on three political committees controlled by Jones. No charges have been filed, but two people with knowledge of the matter said the investigation remains active.
The U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment through spokesperson Joseph Fitzpatrick.
Campaign finance reports show that one of Jones’ political committees paid $35,000 in legal fees to Cheronis & Parente, a Chicago firm that specializes in criminal defense. Since February 2024, Jones' campaign has paid the firm nearly $200,000.
Chris Parente, a partner at the firm, declined to discuss the payments, saying only that Cheronis & Parente doesn’t work exclusively on criminal cases. Sean Howard, a spokesperson for Jones, also declined to comment, referring questions to Parente.
Jones, a Democrat who earlier this month won another term as Calumet City’s mayor, has represented Illinois' 29th District since 2011.
Jones' campaign also paid nearly $10,000 this year to Mullen Law Offices, according to records. The firm did not respond to a request for comment.
Long-Running Scrutiny Over Campaign Spending
Questions about Jones' campaign finances first surfaced publicly years ago. A 2017 complaint filed by two Calumet City aldermen accused him of using political funds for personal expenses, including outings to Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs games, and nearly $7,000 spent at a south suburban Hooters restaurant between 2014 and 2016.
The complaint also raised concerns over payments made to the Jones Foundation, a charity led by Jones' wife, which were allegedly misreported.
Following a hearing, the Illinois State Board of Elections ruled there was insufficient evidence to support most of the allegations and declined to issue a fine. Jones’ attorney at the time, Democratic election lawyer Michael Kasper, argued that the spending cited — including the repeated Hooters visits — was "not unusual" over the time span.
Campaign finance records suggest the spending pattern has continued. In the first quarter of 2025, the Jones for State Representative fund reported nearly $2,500 in charges at Hooters — roughly a visit every five and a half days.
Separately, Calumet City aldermen last year questioned municipal credit card charges for Hooters, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, and a Cadillac lease, although it remained unclear who made the purchases.
One of the aldermen who initially filed the 2017 complaint, James Patton, unsuccessfully challenged Jones for mayor earlier this year, losing in the February Democratic primary.
