Perjury trial to begin for former Madigan chief of staff Timothy Mapes
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Timothy Mapes, the onetime chief of staff to former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, will head to trial Monday on federal charges.
Mapes is accused of lying to the grand jury that investigated Madigan, who is facing trial himself next year.
Mapes, 68, of Springfield, is charged with one count of perjury and one count of attempted obstruction of justice. Jury selection is set to begin in his trial Monday morning at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
Federal prosecutors have accused Mapes of lying to a grand jury about his knowledge of Madigan's relationship with longtime confidante Michael McClain from 2017 to 2019, despite being granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for truthful testimony.
Mapes, who served as Madigan's chief of staff until 2018, denied knowing McClain acted as an agent or performed work for Madigan doing those years, when he knew McClain had done so, according to the indictment. The grand jury claimed Mapes attempted to "corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede" the investigation.
If convicted, Mapes could face 20 years in prison on the attempted obstruction charge and 5 years on the perjury charge.
McClain was convicted earlier this year, alongside three others, in a federal bribery case involving utility giant ComEd. McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, retired ComEd vice president John Hooker, and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty were found guilty on each and every count of a nine-count indictment accusing them of conspiracy, bribery, and falsifying documents.
Federal prosecutors accused the defendants of using their influence to reward former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his associates for about eight years beginning in 2011, in order to ensure Madigan would help them pass legislation beneficial to ComEd. Defendant McClain is also a close Madigan confidant.
The indictment claimed the four defendants conspired to influence and reward the speaker by arranging for jobs and contracts for his political allies and workers.
Madigan is scheduled to go on trial next April on racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud charges. McClain is also a co-defendant in that case.
Madigan and McClain are accused of a bribery scheme involving multiple businesses – including ComEd and AT&T – In which the businesses paid Madigan's associates as a reward for their loyalty to Madigan. Federal prosecutors said Madigan used his various political positions as part of a long-term scheme to arrange for no-show jobs for his political workers, and personal benefits for himself.