CHICAGO — After more than five hours of deliberation on Thursday, a federal jury has found Tim Mapes, 68, guilty of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice.

Mapes is the former chief of staff to former House Speaker Michael Madigan.

At the request of the defense for more time, Mapes will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 10.

He faces up to 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice and up to five years for perjury.

There wasn’t much of a reaction from Mapes when the verdict was read. He was flanked by his defense team and quickly walked out of the Dirksen Federal Building.

Using a series of secret recordings, the government told jurors Mapes lied about his knowledge of Madigan and McClain’s political activities. 

In one 2018 call, when ‘MeToo’ had swept through the legislature, Springfield insider Michael McClain told Mapes he disagreed with Madigan’s appointment of Maggie Hickey to investigate the mistreatment of women at the Capitol.

Before prosecutors rested their case on Monday, they played a wiretap of McClain saying he worked to block the selection of Hickey as U.S. attorney in Chicago. 

Both Madigan and McClain are charged with bribery and racketeering following the same grand jury investigation.

The defense argued Mapes was not shown specific documents during his grand jury testimony or played any recordings and he had no motive to lie during his testimony.

Statements in response to the verdict

Sherri Garrett, whose statement about her sexual harassment by-then chief of staff Mapes led to his resignation, issued the following statement: “Through the course of this trial, we’ve learned about the ways that Mr. Mapes and the rest of the inner circle of that organization worked to discredit those of us who were speaking out about our toxic work environment. My experience speaking out about the sexual harassment I endured in 2018 was painful–and more painful was knowing that there were countless others like me who were too afraid of Mr. Mapes to come forward and speak their own truths. I hope that those individuals feel some relief today, as I know I do. I remain hopeful, as I have all along, that more people will now feel safe coming forward, knowing that their stories can lead to real change.”

Alaina Hampton: “I have always said that my experience was the symptom of a toxic culture, and that it started at the top. Tim Mapes was as close to the top as it gets. Through these court proceedings, we have all had the chance to read the transcripts and listen to the recorded phone calls of Mapes and his closest colleagues strategizing in their efforts to undermine the Me Too movement in Illinois. None of it comes as a surprise. The Defense attempted to paint Tim Mapes as a victim worthy of pity after his resignation. It seems clear they were intentionally trying to divert attention from the reason for his resignation in the first place–his habitual sexual harassment and bullying of Sherri Garrett. Today’s verdict was an important step in the direction of full justice. But there’s more to be done.”

State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville: “As of today, all five people associated with former Democrat Speaker of the House Mike Madigan have been found guilty and the last person left for trial is Madigan. There is no time to wait, the Illinois Democrat majority needs to support the anti-corruption bills that my House Republican colleagues and I have sponsored year after year. We have a plan to help stop corruption in state government, but the Democrat majority won’t allow these anti-corruption bills to become law. Rooting out corruption should be something we can all agree upon, so why not start today.”

State Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton: “Federal prosecutors remain undefeated in their fight against corruption at 5-0 with today’s guilty verdict of former Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan’s closest ally, Tim Mapes. With five Democrat political insiders tied to Madigan being found guilty of corruption so far this year, it’s another reminder of why lawmakers at the State House need to enact strong anti-corruption reforms. It’s unfortunate these reforms are not being considered in the Democrat-controlled legislature. I hope when we return to the fall veto session if not sooner, we have the opportunity to vote on meaningful reforms aimed at stopping corruption in Illinois government.”

State Rep. Kevin Schmidt, R-Millstadt: “The conviction of another top aide to former House Speaker Michael Madigan illustrates why Illinois needs ethics reform to root out corruption in state government once and for all. The fact that no meaningful action was taken on ethics during the 2023 legislative session despite the guilty verdict in the ComEd Four trial this spring is completely unacceptable. With Speaker Madigan’s trial looming in the coming months, when will House Democrats start taking this issue seriously and work with us to pass the ethics reforms we all know Illinois needs?”

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago: “Today’s verdict is a vindication for those who, over the years, were willing to stand up and speak out in the face of injustice and abuse by Mapes and his boss. More importantly, I hope it brings closure and some peace to those who shared their stories with me privately but still feared retribution from Mapes. Testimony in this trial showed the extent to which he retained a hand in the speaker’s political operation, perhaps justifying their concern. Anyone who has spent any time at all in the Capitol has to have found the defense’s attempt to portray Mapes as a victim who was ‘devasted’ by his completely justified removal as Madigan’s chief of staff and executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois laughable at best. Mapes used his power to deliver abuse, harassment, and bullying customized for maximum impact on his victims. We’ve taken some important steps forward, but it’s critical that we remain vigilant to prevent future entrenchment and concentration of power while we continue to expand protections for those who experience harassment in the capitol.”

Tony Esposito, executive director of the Illinois House Republican Organization: “In the end, protecting Madigan and his corrupt system at all costs comes with consequences. With yet another conviction in the string of corruption trials in Illinois, a jury again sees clearly that those who were working to protect Madigan’s criminal enterprise were not working for the good of Illinois. This guilty verdict is a good step towards holding the insiders accountable but more reform must be done to tear down the Madigan system.”

Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy: “The culture of corruption that Illinois Democrats fostered for decades is finally being exposed and prosecuted. There is more work to be done, but Illinois citizens deserve a government that works for them, not just for political insiders and their special interest allies.”

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Morris Pasqual: “Perjury and obstruction of justice are serious offenses that strike at the heart of the truth-seeking mission of the grand jury. 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.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office: “There is no justice without truth. 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.”

Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigations Division in Chicago: “Citizens should expect that former public officials will maintain their integrity and be truthful even when it is inconvenient. 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.”