Tim Mapes, former chief of staff to Michael Madigan, has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for lying to a grand jury as part of a federal investigation into his former boss. The judge expressed frustration and questioned Mapes' motivations, suggesting that his loyalty to Madigan and another associate was gravely misguided. Mapes, who had been granted immunity, repeatedly lied before the grand jury. The sentencing is part of a larger federal corruption probe that has resulted in multiple convictions, including that of another former state lawmaker.
Tim Mapes, former chief of staff for Michael Madigan, has been found guilty of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice in federal court. Mapes lied on every occasion identified by federal prosecutors and now faces a maximum of 5 years for perjury and a maximum of 20 years for attempted obstruction. Illinois Republicans praised the conviction and criticized Democrats for not enacting stricter ethics laws, while House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch defended ethics reforms passed in 2021. Mapes is the seventh person to face a jury verdict this year as a result of federal corruption investigations in Chicago.
Closing arguments have begun in the perjury trial of Tim Mapes, former chief of staff to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. Mapes is accused of lying to a federal grand jury investigating Madigan and his political operation. Prosecutors argue that Mapes could have been a valuable witness in the corruption investigation but chose to protect his friends by obstructing the process. Mapes faces up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction count. His defense claims that he did his best to provide truthful answers but struggled to remember due to the stress of the grand jury setting.
Closing arguments have begun in the perjury trial of Tim Mapes, former chief of staff to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. Mapes is accused of lying to a federal grand jury during the investigation into Madigan and his political operation. Prosecutors argue that Mapes could have been a valuable witness but chose to protect his friends by obstructing the process. Mapes faces up to 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice and up to five years for perjury. The defense claims that Mapes did his best to provide truthful answers but struggled to remember due to the stressful nature of the grand jury setting.
Politics quickly took center stage during the jury selection for the federal perjury trial of Tim Mapes, former top aide to Illinois politician Michael Madigan. Prospective jurors revealed their connections to former state representatives and AT&T, a company involved in a corruption scandal related to Madigan. One potential juror expressed distrust for Madigan and was subsequently dismissed. Mapes is accused of lying to grand jurors to protect Madigan in a corruption case. The trial will continue with opening statements once the jury is selected.
