A “voluminous” batch of 90,000 documents and secret recordings will soon be sent to defense lawyers handling the perjury and obstruction case against Tim Mapes, the longtime chief of staff for House Speaker Michael Madigan, a prosecutor said in court Wednesday.

       Mapes, 66, of Springfield, has pleaded not guilty to lying to a grand jury in the sprawling ComEd bribes-for-favors case. He is one of the closest Madigan insiders to be ensnared in the ongoing investigation.

       At a telephonic status hearing Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz said the government sent Mapes’ defense team an initial batch of “intercepted communications and other records” on June 8.

       “The next production will be voluminous,” Schwartz told U.S. District Judge John Lee. “We anticipate approximately 90,000 documents as well as additional communications and recordings.”

       She said the second, larger batch of discovery should be sent within the next two weeks.

       An 11-page indictment alleged Mapes repeatedly lied during a March 31 appearance before the grand jury when asked about Madigan’s relationship with his longtime confidant Michael McClain, who was charged in November with orchestrating the ComEd bribery scheme.

       Former House Speaker Michael Madigan's then-chief of staff Tim Mapes at the Illinois Capitol in Springfield on June 30, 2015. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

       Mapes also lied when he said he had no knowledge that McClain had communicated with two unnamed state representatives in 2018 on behalf of Madigan, the indictment alleged.

       A source with knowledge of the probe said the two lawmakers are Rep. Bob Rita of Blue Island, a longtime Madigan supporter, and former Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie, who had served as deputy majority leader under Madigan before resigning in 2019.

       Mapes has denied wrongdoing and has maintained that federal authorities are attempting to squeeze him to give up incriminating information, if there is any, on Madigan.

       Mapes did not appear at Wednesday’s hearing because of a “personal issue to deal with, with his family,” said Andrew Porter, Mapes’ attorney. He appeared via telephone rather than in person at his arraignment.

       Mapes’ indictment in May 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.

       In 2018, Mapes lost his public positions as Madigan’s chief of staff and House clerk when a staffer accused Mapes of sexual harassment over several years and fostering “a culture of sexism, harassment and bullying that creates an extremely difficult working environment.”

       Mapes had received an annual public salary of $208,000 working for Madigan. He also lost his position as executive director of the Madigan-run Democratic Party of Illinois. He now receives an annual public pension of $141,306.

       ComEd agreed last year to pay a $200 million fine and admitted that it sought to win Madigan’s favor for the company’s Springfield agenda by placing several political associates on contract, giving internships to college kids tied to his 13th Ward and installing a Madigan-backed candidate on its board.

       Madigan has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.

       McClain has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Three others indicted with him, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, lobbyist John Hooker and consultant Jay Doherty, have also pleaded not guilty to their alleged roles in the scheme.

       Another former ComEd executive, Fidel Marquez, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating.

       ‘Voluminous’ evidence to be turned over in case against former Madigan chief of staff, feds say

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