The second anniversary of the indictment of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was marked over the weekend, drawing renewed attention to the legal proceedings surrounding his office. A significant development in the case has been the unsealing of a 181-page batch of letters written in support of Tim Mapes, Madigan's former chief of staff who was convicted of perjury last year for lying to a federal grand jury. These letters, initially filed under seal, have now been made public on the federal court docket. Among the authors of these letters are notable figures such as ex-Madigan spokesman Steve Brown, who misspelled the judge's name as 'Judge Knees' twice, ex-U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Barbara Flynn Currie, and others. These letters were written to urge a light sentence for Mapes, highlighting his character and contributions. The letters reveal a broad network of support for Mapes, including judges, ex-legislators, and political insiders, demonstrating the reach and influence of Madigan's office even in the face of legal challenges.
Newly published letters show judges, former elected officials and political heavyweights went to bat for the former top aide of indicted ex-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. @hannahmeisel has more. https://t.co/VKotREa6ZK https://t.co/z9iq3zWB4J
Who stood up for Mapes? Judges, ex-legislators and the Cook County clerk wrote letters of support for convicted Springfield insider Tim Mapes By @crepeau @jmetr22b & me https://t.co/LJwuwUNDJM
A former Illinois Supreme Court chief justice, a retired congressman, the sister of a convicted Springfield powerbroker and other political insiders sought leniency for Timothy Mapes, the convicted aide of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. https://t.co/3avFsWaeV5
Friends, colleagues and family members of Timothy Mapes wrote stirring character letters on his behalf, urging a federal judge to impose a light sentence on the once-powerful state bureaucrat convicted of lying to a federal grand jury. https://t.co/wB91mfxMV9
A sitting state appellate judge, a former Illinois Supreme Court justice, multiple ex-legislators, and the Cook County Clerk all wrote letters of support for Tim Mapes, the former Springfield insider who was convicted of perjury last year. https://t.co/wkpCEpfAB5
Judges, ex-legislators, and the Cook County Clerk wrote letters of support for convicted Springfield insider Tim Mapes https://t.co/tV0Co3xerG
So a who's who of Illinois Democratic heavyweights, including the Cook County Clerk, a former supreme court judge, ex-legislators and insiders wrote letters of support for Tim Mapes. Not bad for a farm boy from Nauvoo Here's our look: https://t.co/xuLwm8mICO w/@RayLong @crepeau
Nothing quite like the tone of letters that fellow politicos send judges to urge leniency for corruption convicts https://t.co/dzxzh85d9b
JUST IN: Letters written to the court on behalf of Tim Mapes, former aide to Speaker Michael Madigan, unsealed. Included are Karen Yarbrough, Barbara Flynn Currie, and Steve Brown, who misspells the judge’s name twice as Judge “Knees” https://t.co/crmsfYfRE0 https://t.co/mAANFpPjV3
A 181-page batch of letters in support of ex-Mike Madigan chief of staff Tim Mapes, initially filed under seal, has landed on the federal court docket. Among them are letters from ex-Madigan spokesman Steve Brown and ex-U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello: https://t.co/OZj1NjgfCT
2nd Anniversary of Madigan indictment came over the weekend.. https://t.co/EbpyFK4iNO