Chicago, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A jury convicted former Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives of providing false material testimony under oath to a federal grand jury and attempting to obstruct its investigation into allegations of public corruption.
A jury in the U.S. District Court in Chicago found TIMOTHY MAPES, 68, of Springfield, Ill., guilty of one count of making false declarations before a grand jury and one count of attempted obstruction of justice. U.S. District Judge John F. Kness set sentencing for Jan. 10, 2024. The obstruction of justice conviction is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, while the false declaration conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois announced the convictions. With him were:
- Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI;
- and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz and Diane MacArthur represented the government.
Even a Former Chief of Staff is Accountable
“Perjury and obstruction of justice are serious offenses that strike at the heart of the truth-seeking mission of the grand jury,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “This conviction should stand as a clear message to witnesses who choose to violate their oath to tell the truth before a grand jury that they will be held accountable.”
“There is no justice without truth,” said FBI SAC Wheeler. “Attempts to undermine the prosecutorial process chip away at trust in our institutions, and this conviction shows that we continue to work with our partners to ensure the integrity of our judicial system.”
“Citizens should expect that former public officials will maintain their integrity and be truthful even when it is inconvenient,” said IRS-CI SAC Campbell. “The investigation that resulted in this conviction is a testament to IRS-CI’s and our law enforcement partners’ commitment to ensuring that individuals who do not testify truthfully in the grand jury will be brought to justice.”
Evidence presented at the nearly three-week trial revealed that the grand jury was investigating possible violations of federal criminal law. This included efforts by the Speaker of the House and a consultant acting on the Speaker’s behalf to obtain for others private jobs, contracts, and monetary payments. These included those from Commonwealth Edison (“ComEd”). ComEd is the largest electric utility in Illinois, to influence and reward the Speaker in the Speaker’s official capacity.
The Former Chief of Staff Did Not Have Immunity for Perjury
Former Chief of Staff Mapes had immunity prior to his testimony before the grand jury. The immunity order provided that prosecutors could not use testimony or evidence Mapes provided in a criminal case. The exceptions were for perjury, giving a false statement, or otherwise failing to comply with the immunity order.
When Mapes appeared before the grand jury on March 31, 2021, he knowingly made false material declarations. These were in response to several questions about the consultant’s relationship with the Speaker from 2017 to 2019. Mapes denied knowing that the consultant acted as an agent or performed work for the Speaker during those years. In fact, Mapes knew that the consultant carried out work and assignments on behalf of the Speaker. Mapes knew the consultant communicated messages on the Speaker’s behalf.
This is a release from the United States Department of Justice.
