A federal grand jury indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s Chief of Staff for lying under oath during an ongoing investigation into Commonwealth’s Edison’s admitted bribery schemes.
Tim Mapes, who served as Madigan’s chief of staff from 2001-2018, was testifying under an immunity order in late March in exchange for information about his boss in front of a federal grand jury. Mapes was told prior to that proceeding that he could be prosecuted if he lied under oath.
According to the grand jury’s indictment released today, Mapes allegedly lied anyway while being questioned about Madigan’s relationship with long-time confidante Michael McClain of Quincy, who allegedly helped orchestrate the bribery scheme between ComEd and Madigan. McClain and three other former ComEd lobbyists and executives were indicted in November for allegedly aiding an orchestrating the scheme. Madigan has not been formally charged.
Mapes has been charged for one count of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. Mapes allegedly did not reveal during testimony that he had intimate knowledge that McClain had acted as an agent of Madigan’s on several key legislative issues between 2017-2019. Wiretaps and communications that have been a part of the discovery process in the case reveal that Mapes and McClain had discussed the matter, even after Mapes resigned from his office in 2018 after sexual harassment and intimidation accusations unfolded around him. Mapes’ attorney told the Illinois Press corps today that Mapes’ indictment was less about him and more about the federal government’s continued pursuit of his former boss. The attorney said he looks forward to Mapes’ case heading to trial as he believes that Mapes answered the questions to the grand jury faithfully and without obstruction.