Former Madigan chief of staff Tim Mapes makes first in-person court appearance on charges stemming from ComEd bribery probe

Six people have been charged as part of the ComEd bribery scandal over the past two years, but none had ever stepped foot physically in a federal courtroom — until now.

Timothy Mapes, the former chief of staff to then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, walked into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Thursday morning for a status hearing on charges he lied to a federal grand jury investigating the alleged ComEd scheme.

The in-person hearing, a relative rarity in a building still operating under COVID-19 protocols, had been called by U.S. District Judge John Kness, who took over Mapes’ case after the previous judge, John Lee, ascended to the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Among the business attended to during the brief hearing was the postponement of Mapes’ scheduled jury trial in January, which Kness said was unavoidable since he is dealing with other trials that month and still needs to get up to speed on Mapes’ case.

Kness said that “with the dam bursting on trials in this building,” which are backlogged due to the pandemic, he wanted to get a new date for Mapes’ trial “as soon as possible.” He initially proposed a date in March, but prosecutors immediately nixed that idea as they are scheduled to begin an eight-week trial for the so-called “ComEd Four” bribery defendants that month.

Kness set hearing for Mapes for Nov. 29, when he will hear arguments on pending motions and likely set a new trial date.

Mapes, 67, of Springfield, is free on a recognizance bond. He entered the courthouse Thursday with his attorneys and did not speak during the 15-minute hearing.

An indictment filed last year alleged Mapes repeatedly lied during a March 31, 2021, appearance before the grand jury when asked about Madigan’s relationship with his longtime confidant Michael McClain, who was charged in 2020 with orchestrating a bribery scheme by Commonwealth Edison to shower money on Madigan’s associates in exchange for the speaker’s help with legislation in Springfield.

Mapes also lied when he said he had no knowledge that McClain had communicated with two unnamed state representatives in 2018 on Madigan’s behalf, the 11-page indictment alleged. The Tribune reported they are Rep. Bob Rita of Blue Island and former Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie.

Mapes, one of the closest advisers from Madigan’s extremely small circle of trusted associates to face charges, has denied wrongdoing, maintaining that federal authorities are attempting to squeeze him to give up incriminating information on Madigan.

His indictment in May 2021 caught many by surprise, particularly since he was granted immunity from prosecution by the U.S. attorney’s office and warned by the chief judge before his testimony before the grand jury that failing to answer truthfully could result in criminal charges against him.

His attorneys have said in court filings their defense will include that Madigan “kept information close to the vest” and “kept private conversations with others private,” and that McClain “often talked mysteriously, cryptically, and oddly — including about and when referring to Madigan.”

Madigan, 80, was indicted in March on federal racketeering charges alleging his elected office and political operation were a criminal enterprise that provided personal financial rewards for him and his associates.

The 22-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury comes after a yearslong federal investigation and alleges Madigan participated in an array of bribery and extortion schemes from 2011 to 2019 aimed at using the power of his office for personal gain.

Madigan has pleaded not guilty.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com