The federal perjury charges against Tim Mapes, former chief of staff to then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, may be relatively simple, but the political intrigue surrounding his trial has so far been multi-layered.
That theater is expected to continue Wednesday with the testimony of former state Rep. Lou Lang, who was forced to resign at Madigan’s behest in 2018 after sexual harassment allegations surfaced that he vehemently denied.
Lang, who has previously said he was granted a ‘non-target letter’ from the U.S. attorney’s office in exchange for his cooperation, is expected to take the witness stand following the continued testimony of another Madigan insider, lobbyist Will Cousineau.
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In May 2018, Mapes and Michael McClain, a longtime confidant of Madigan, had a series of calls discussing rumors that Lang, a key Madigan ally, allegedly harassed a female activist and how to mitigate the damage those allegations might have on the speaker, court records show.
“Let me put you on with the boss. OK?” Mapes told McClain, according to court records detailing the conversation. “So you’re going to inform him what you know and go from there.”
Prosecutors wrote in a recent court filing the episode demonstrates “as clear as day that Mapes knew McClain communicated with Madigan in 2018, because Mapes sets up that conversation.”
“It also is an example of McClain working for Madigan, helping get information to him about a brewing sexual harassment scandal,” the prosecution filing stated.
Just days after the call, Mapes lost his public positions as Madigan’s chief of staff and House clerk when a staffer accused him of harassment over several years and fostering “a culture of sexism, harassment and bullying that creates an extremely difficult working environment.”
[ Former top Michael Madigan aide on trial: What you need to know — and what’s next for Tim Mapes ]
Lang, a Skokie Democrat who once considered himself a contender to replace Madigan as speaker, testified five months ago for the prosecution at the “ComEd Four” trial, which ended in May with the convictions of McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Prammagiore, lobbyist John Hooker, and consultant and former City Club of Chicago head Jay Doherty.
Mapes, 68, of Springfield, is charged with perjury and attempted obstruction of justice, accused in an indictment of lying in his answers to seven questions during the more than two-hour testimony.
The latter charge calls for up to 20 years in federal prison, while lying to a grand jury carries a five-year maximum prison sentence.
Prosecutors accused Mapes of lying about his knowledge of the political activities of Madigan and McClain, both before and after Madigan ousted Mapes in June 2018 amid the burgeoning #MeToo scandal.
Mapes has denied making any false statements, and his attorneys have argued that he did his “level best” to provide truthful answers. They also accused prosecutors of asking open-ended questions and failing to provide Mapes with any corroborating materials that might refresh his recollection of years-old conversations.
Either way, Mapes’ allegedly misleading statements had little effect, as Madigan and McClain were both indicted on racketeering charges last year alleging Madigan was at the top of a criminal enterprise aimed at enriching him and his cronies and maintaining his nearly unfettered political power.
McClain is also awaiting sentencing for his conviction in the ComEd Four case.
Meanwhile, Lang is expected to be the latest in a string of former Madigan insiders to testify against Mapes including Cousineau and state Rep. Bob Rita, a Blue Island Democrat who told the jury last week about Mapes’ allegedly close relationship with McClain.
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On Tuesday, prosecutors began playing audio of Mapes’ March 2021 testimony before the grand jury, offering a rare public glimpse into normally secret proceedings and lifting the veil on a key manner in which large-scale criminal investigations proceed.
Given that Mapes was a key member of Madigan’s inner circle who for years served as the speaker’s borderline-tyrannical gatekeeper, what he had to say in his grand jury testimony is of keen interest to many Illinois power brokers.
“You understand you are under oath and you are obligated to tell the truth,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu said near the beginning of the March 31, 2021, inquiry. “So if you tell the truth, you’re in good shape, if you lie there’s a prosecution for perjury potentially in your future. Do you understand that?”
“Yes sir,” Mapes replied.
Later Tuesday, prosecutors offered new insight into another politically explosive chapter in Illinois, using undercover recordings and emails to portray the behind-the-scenes response to a sexual harassment scandal that had engulfed Madigan’s operation in 2018 and threatened his decadeslong run as speaker.
“If we want to protect and save MJM (Madigan) we cannot play punchy bags above the belt,” Michael McClain, the speaker’s longtime confidant, wrote in one email to Madigan’s inner circle of advisers. “It is time to be offensive. … We have to play hardball and quit doing this nicey-nicey stuff on the calls.”
