Jury selection began today in the perjury trial of Mike Madigan’s former Chief of Staff, Tim Mapes. This is the latest episode of the federal government’s wide-ranging corruption investigation. Mapes is accused of lying to federal investigators about communications and knowledge he had of Madigan’s corrupt activities. House Deputy Minority Leader Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) issued the following statement in response:
“Today marks another sad day for the people of Illinois and our state government,” said Spain. “Mike Madigan’s former Chief of Staff, Tim Mapes, goes on trial for perjury and the role he played in Madigan’s corruption schemes. But that isn’t the sad part, the sad part is that Madigan’s hand-picked successor, Democratic Speaker Chris Welch, still refuses to take the necessary action to pass robust ethics reform.
“Unless and until action is finally taken, poor ethical behavior will still be the norm in Illinois government under the thumb of Illinois Democrats as the ‘Madigan Way’ is still their guiding light. It has to stop now!”
For more, WBEZ has the story. Click here.