East Central Reporter

Illinois State House District 101 candidate Chris Miller stated, "Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's longtime chief of staff has begun his 30-month prison sentence for lying to a federal grand jury when answering questions about a broader investigation into Madigan and others." He made this statement in a Facebook post on June 12.

"Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's longtime chief of staff has begun his 30 month prison sentence for lying to a federal grand jury when answering questions about a broader investigation into Madigan and others," said Chris G Miller, according to Facebook.

In his Facebook post, Miller shared a link to an ABC7 News report on Tim Mapes reporting to prison. According to the June 12 report, Mapes had been required to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons before 12 p.m., and his attorney confirmed he had done so. He was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of lying to a federal grand jury when answering questions about former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and others.

Screenshot of Rep. Chris MIller's June 12 Facebook post | State Representative Chris MIller Facebook page

It was August 2023 when Mapes was found guilty of making false declarations before a grand jury and attempting to obstruct justice. According to the ABC7 report on Aug. 24, 2023, the jury took just five hours to find Mapes guilty. ABC7 also noted that he showed no reaction when the jury read the verdict and avoided reporters as he left the courthouse.

Mapes spent more than two decades as former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff. He was known for his loyalty to the former speaker and did not testify in his trial, although he did make a statement before US District Judge John Kness handed down his sentence, according to a Capitol News Illinois report.

Mapes started in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1977 and was picked by Madigan to be Chief of Staff in 1992; with that position, Mapes also took over as director of the Illinois Democratic Party, and in 2011 became the clerk of the Illinois House of Representatives. All three roles ended in 2018 with an accusation of sexual harassment and bullying, according to Capitol News Illinois. Years later, he sat for a grand jury with an immunity order to testify in connection with an investigation into Madigan and alleged bribery and racketeering.

Chris Miller was first elected to represent the people of Illinois in 2019. He now represents the 101st House District. A third-generation cattle farmer and grain operator, Miller graduated from Oakland High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Eureka College, as well as an associate degree in agriculture from Lake Land College, according to his official biography.