Will County Gazette

Illinois state Rep. Tim Ozinga (R-37th) spoke out about the guilty verdict in the trial of Tim Mapes. Mapes was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in 2019.

"Today, another domino has fallen in the corrupt Madigan machine," Ozinga said in an Aug. 24 statement. "Since my first day in office, I have been a champion of passing strong, comprehensive ethics reform. There have been many bills filed to end the plague of corrupt and unethical behavior inside our state’s government, but none have been called for a vote. It’s time to put aside party politics and address this issue head on."

Tim Mapes was chief of staff to former House Speaker Michael Madigan until 2018, and was convicted on a perjury charge, and one charge of obstruction of justice. According to CBS News, Mapes will be sentenced Jan. 10, 2024. 

The perjury charge could lead to a five-year prison sentence, and the obstruction charge could lead to up to 20 years in prison. Mapes was accused of lying to the grand jury investigating the relationship of Madigan and Michael McClain between 2017 and 2019. Mapes was given immunity in exchange for truthful testimony, CBS News reported.

Madigan was the House speaker and a state representative for decades before he resigned in February 2021, after he was implicated in a bribery scheme that involved ComEd executives, according to the Associated Press.

The Mapes' indictment, released by the Department of Justice, reveals the testimony in question took place March 31, 2021, and that in an attempt to obstruct an investigation, Mapes falsely testified about whether an individual identified as “individual B” told him “about Individual B’s communications with Public Official A between 2017 and 2019; b. Whether MAPES knew that Individual B carried out work and assignments from and on behalf of Public Official A between 2017 and 2019; c. Whether MAPES knew that Individual B had taken or intended to take action on Public Official A’s behalf between 2017 and 2019; d. Whether Individual B told MAPES about Individual B’s work assigned by and on behalf of Public Official A between 2017 and 2019;” and more. 

In the indictment, it is also noted that Mapes was charged with perjury, despite having an immunity order and being warned that if he lied on the stand, he could be charged with perjury.

Ozinga was first elected to the Illinois House in 2020. A Democrat, his legislative experience includes serving on the Revenue and Finance and Housing Committee, according to the Illinois House.