Lake County Gazette

In an Aug. 25 Facebook post, Illinois State Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Lake Barrington) said he wasn't surprised by the guilty verdict in the Tim Mapes case. Mapes was found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice on Aug. 24.

"This week, Tim Mapes - former Chief of Staff to the indicted former Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan- was found guilty of lying to the federal government in its investigation into Madigan’s corruption," McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin, a Republican, was first elected to the Illinois House in 2020. His legislative experience includes serving on the Revenue & Finance and Prescription Drug Affordability Committees, the Illinois House website says.

Tim Mapes was chief of staff to former House Speaker Michael Madigan until 2018. He was convicted on a perjury charge and a charge of obstruction of justice, CBS News reported. Mapes will be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2024. The perjury charge could lead to a five-year prison sentence, and the obstruction charge could lead to up to 20 years in prison, CBS News said. Mapes was accused of lying to the grand jury investigating the relationship between Michael Madigan and Michael McClain between 2017 and 2019. Mapes had been granted immunity in exchange for truthful testimony.

Mapes falsely testified on March 31, 2021, when asked about whether an individual identified as “Individual B” told him “about Individual B’s communications with Public Official A between 2017 and 2019," the federal indictment of him said. He also falsely testified as to "whether he knew that Individual B carried out work and assignments from and on behalf of Public Official A between 2017 and 2019; c. Whether MAPES knew that Individual B had taken or intended to take action on Public Official A’s behalf between 2017 and 2019; d. Whether Individual B told MAPES about Individual B’s work assigned by and on behalf of Public Official A between 2017 and 2019;” and more, the indictment said.

The indictment also said he was charged with perjury after being granted immunity from prosecution and being warned that if he lied on the stand, he could be charged with perjury.

“From the blatant gerrymandering of our legislative maps to doling out political favors for official legislative action and jobs for special interest groups in exchange for campaign donations, this criminal enterprise was an affront to our constitutional republic and an insult to every single Illinoisan, McLaughlin said in a news release. "This swift guilty verdict for the former speaker’s long-time top lieutenant, on the heels of the Com-Ed Four trial earlier this year, brings us one step closer to the highly anticipated Madigan corruption trial scheduled for next year. I hope our current speaker will finally start getting serious about real ethics reforms. I am calling on Speaker Welch to actually make true to his phrase of a 'New Day in Springfield.'”