Perjury trial begins for Madigan's chief of staff; defense says there's no evidence he lied

An attorney for Michael Madigan's longtime chief of staff on Wednesday likened the top aide's 2021 visit to a federal grand jury to a high school reunion - featuring a pop quiz in which failure results in a felony.

"Tim Mapes did not lie in the grand jury," defense attorney Katie Hill argued as Mapes' perjury trial began in earnest. "He did not attempt to obstruct justice."

And, she said, the trial jury he now faces will not hear any direct evidence that Mapes knew and remembered the things he was asked about before the grand jury March 31, 2021.

It amounted to the fullest defense yet of Mapes, who served for two decades as a top aide to Madigan, Illinois' once-powerful former House speaker. Mapes testified for hours in 2021 and was asked more than 650 questions by prosecutors, records show.

Federal prosecutors have charged Mapes with perjury, saying he lied on seven occasions during that visit to the grand jury. The questions on those occasions revolved around work that had been done by another Springfield insider, Michael McClain, for Madigan.

Mapes also faces attempted obstruction of justice charges; prosecutors say he tried to block the feds' aggressive investigation of Madigan and McClain, who both now face criminal charges.

• This report was produced in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times. To read the full story, visit chicago.suntimes.com.