Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in the trial for Tim Mapes, the longtime chief of staff for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who faces charges of perjury and obstruction of justice after federal prosecutors alleged he lied to a grand jury.
Mapes, 66, was indicted in May of 2021 for allegedly "providing false material declarations under oath to a federal grand jury and attempting to obstruct its investigation into allegations of public corruption."
According to the indictment, Mapes had been granted immunity to testify before a grand jury in an investigation into "possible violations of federal criminal law" involving Madigan and one of his associates.
The investigation centered on accusations Madigan and an individual acting on his behalf attempted to "obtain for others private jobs, contracts, and monetary payments, including from Commonwealth Edison (“ComEd”), the largest electric utility in Illinois, to influence and reward the Speaker in the Speaker’s official capacity," according to the grand jury.
Mapes was given immunity for his testimony "except for perjury, giving a false statement, or otherwise failing to comply with the immunity order."
But according to the indictment, Mapes testified on March 31 "and knowingly made false material declarations in response to several questions about a consultant’s relationship with the Speaker from 2017 to 2019."
Unsealed court documents later showed Mapes was asked more than 650 questions during that grand jury appearance and, out of those, prosecutors picked seven where they said he lied.
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The indictment alleges Mapes denied knowing that a consultant was acting on behalf of or working for Madigan during those years, when, in fact, he did.
Mapes' attorneys, however, said in a statement that he "testified truthfully in the grand jury."
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"His honest recollections-in response to vague and imprecise questions about events that allegedly took place many years ago- simply do not constitute perjury," the statement from attorneys Andrew Porter and Katie Hill read at the time. "This case, of course, is not about him—but about the government’s continued pursuit of his former boss. Tim Mapes has in no way engaged in obstruction of justice, and looks forward to prevailing at trial when all of the facts are aired."
The obstruction charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the false declaration charge carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Mapes' testimony took place after Madigan announced his resignation following 50 years in office.
Mapes served as Madigan's chief of staff for decades before he was ousted in 2018 after an employee of the legislature accused him of bullying and harassment.
