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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: pic.twitter.com/OZj1NjgfCT
— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) March 5, 2024
* Tribune story…
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 in connection with a sweeping statehouse corruption investigation.
The letters were submitted ahead of Mapes’ sentencing last month but were made public Tuesday in redacted form on order of U.S. District Judge John Kness. Mapes, former chief of staff to powerhouse ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, was ultimately given 30 months in prison.
Many of the letters released Tuesday vouched for Mapes’ character and asked Kness for leniency.
Former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride, who received millions of dollars from Madigan-backed campaign contributions over three races for the high court, called Mapes a “man of many admirable talents.” […]
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough wrote that Mapes is “a good person who worked extremely hard on behalf of the people of Illinois and helped make our State a better place … his commitment to helping our society’s most vulnerable has resulted in countless lives being changed for the better.”
* WBEZ…
Another ex-legislator urging Kness to show compassion to Mapes was former House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago.
“In my years working with Tim, I never had reason to question his honesty or his integrity,” she wrote. “I am hopeful you will take into account Tim’s years of meritorious service and the good he has done.”
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello also went to bat for Mapes.
Costello asked Kness to “take into consideration all the positive things that Tim Mapes has done during his career in public service that has (sic) improved the lives of the people of Illinois.”
Seeing anything else in the trove of letters?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:12 pm
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Well, I’m glad they were released.
Comment by Macon Bakin Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:16 pm
Steve Brown misspelled the judge’s name twice, LOL.
Comment by GOP Truth Squad Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:20 pm
===Steve Brown misspelled===
Brown is a horrible speller lol
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:22 pm
Mapes saved lives? Give me a break, Steve.
Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:24 pm
Some former legislators, staffers and lobbyists. No doubt they are sincere. I think the pro-Mapes friends and family effort was about volume, since spouses seem to write additional letters instead of signing them jointly.
About what I’d expect though. No doubt he had a lot of friends, although probably not as many as he would have hoped.
Curious about the ones redacted in whole.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:25 pm
I kind-of hate that these letters get turned into gotchas. The prison system is this country is so awful and inhumane that I would write a letter like this for anyone who asked me, just trying to get them into a lower-security, safer, less-violent prison environment.
Comment by Suburban Mom Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:25 pm
( Reads letter )
“ Noted “
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:26 pm
“Mapes saved lives?”
Reminds me of the old Shecky Greene bit: “Frank Sinatra saved my life once. He said, Okay, boys. That’s enough.”
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:30 pm
Across many of them, there is consensus that he made the trains run on time.
Comment by Marine Life Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:37 pm
What’s with the letters that are redacted in full? I wonder how/why those individuals enjoy a privacy interest not shared by the others.
Comment by Bud's Bar Stool Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:41 pm
===What’s with the letters that are redacted in full?===
The judge agreed to redact letters from minors.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:43 pm
++What’s with the letters that are redacted in full? I wonder how/why those individuals enjoy a privacy interest not shared by the others.==
Minor children wrote them. Grandkids perhaps. Several are on loose leaf paper.
Comment by Nope. Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:44 pm
=== The judge agreed to redact letters from minors. ===
Thank you for the clarification.
Comment by Bud's Bar Stool Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 1:49 pm
As one of the writers mentions, I’ll never forget his generosity every time he was out w staff. He paid for everything and not just once or twice. It was each time he was there - several times a year. I’ve never seen that, before or since.
He certainly had flaws but I never knew how he kept it together w all the balls he was juggling.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 2:02 pm
Really gross.
It’s always unsettling to see how powerful people become acutely concerned about injustice in sentencing when it’s another powerful person being sentenced. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that kind of concern for an unconnected single parent who got pinched for possession and is consequently going to lose custody and their place to live. Gotta spare that humanity for when its someone like George Ryan or Tim Mapes getting sentenced for public corruption.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 2:10 pm
Frank Mautino?????? Tim Drea??? Come on guys.
Comment by umm Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 2:11 pm
“A sitting state appellate judge, a former Illinois Supreme Court justice, multiple ex-legislators, and the Cook County Clerk”
I get it that you want to support your colleague or friends - but these letters came from folks who were also ones that gained by having the ear or access to MJM ( via Mapes ) the most powerful Dem lawmaker of their time. A huge grain of salt goes along with these and it seems U.S. District Judge John Kness saw that as well based on the sentence.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 2:22 pm
The Speaker himself didn’t write a letter for his former CoS???
Comment by Pizza Man Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 2:26 pm
so much blacked out. can’t recall at which point in the alphabet but letters from those already convicted or awaiting trial? several nuns. A Cellini (always nostalgic) and that sign off by Joe lyons…pax et bonum.
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 2:29 pm
As a former legislative staff intern, it disappointed me to see Kent Redfield’s name here. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me though, given how they never could quite make us feel safe as young women interns. And I was an intern in 98-99 so no one could say that our protection wasn’t top of mind.
Comment by Former Intern Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 3:17 pm
Current state employees writing support letters is just gross. Forget about the trial, let’s remember why this man was fired. My opinion of many letter writers has changed, and not for the better.
Comment by FIREDup! Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 3:24 pm
A couple of things, not surprisingly but you can tell how folks help each other out. There are references to my kid got a job here, he helped when I lost a state job, etc. Not a surprise at all, but kind of points out the additional challenges to get some roles when you don’t know someone.
Also in general there were not a whole lot of ‘I have known Tim for 5 years’ letters.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 3:28 pm
- I never knew how he kept it together w all the balls he was juggling. -
There are people that manage responsibilities like this without acting like jerks.
Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 3:46 pm
Nice list. Although I’m not sure it’s worth anything other than for his prison scrapbook.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 4:15 pm
100% agree with Suburban Mom. Incarceration in this country is no joke and happens to so many. Anything I can do to help someone spend one fewer day locked up, I will.
Comment by the 647 Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 4:24 pm
Democratic judges and former judges writing a letter urging mercy for a convicted Democratic political insider is about as Illinois as its gets.
Comment by Spencer Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 4:42 pm
“It’s always unsettling to see how powerful people become acutely concerned about injustice in sentencing when it’s another powerful person being sentenced.” Great observation.
When I watched the George Ryan trial, Big Jim Thompson made an appearance, grinning and shaking hands around the room. It must have been great for Ryan to get $10 Million worth of top flight legal defense at no charge from Winston & Strawn.
I hope somebody goes to bat for me like that one day, if I am ever the subject of a federal investigation. But I’m just one of the taxpayers.
Comment by Payback Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 4:44 pm
Any person who receives this kind of praise from friends and family can’t be all bad. The man lied under oath and many people think he’s a horrible person, but he did have a positive impact on some people’s lives. I think Mapes should consider himself very lucky to have the support and friendship of those who wrote letters.
I’m intrigued by those who did not write letters.There are some names I expected to see.
Comment by Say What Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 4:44 pm
No sympathy for a bully who chose to lie to the feds with a grant of immunity. I never saw the caring for others… quite the opposite in fact. Only cared about those with more sway with the Speaker than he had himself.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 7:11 pm
Mapes actually did save at least two lives. Others also helped in those efforts, but Mapes certainly contributed and did so while as their boss. And neither individual wrote a letter. Mapes may be an easy target now, but ignorance on the historical perspective says more about the person throwing the stone—and the people who forgot.
Comment by Section 666 Tuesday, Mar 5, 24 @ 9:27 pm
==Mapes may be an easy target now, but ignorance on the historical perspective says more about the person throwing the stone—and the people who forgot.==
Well said.
Comment by low level Wednesday, Mar 6, 24 @ 9:02 am