THE ILLINOIZE: Monday Free for All...Prosecution to rest in Mapes trial...The Illinois GOP and Trump...Yednock won't seek re-election
August 21, 2023
Good morning, Illinois.
The Illinois State Fair wrapped its 11-day run yesterday. My assumption is the attendance numbers are probably going to be through the roof with the really great stretch of weather last week.
Let me know if you went, what you liked and didn’t like. I’ll keep all responses anonymous- patrick@theillinoize.com.
The General Assembly is still out (thank goodness) until October. Governor Pritzker speaks to freshmen at the University of Illinois at 10.
There are 211 days to the March 19 primary and 442 days to the November 5 general election.
Let’s get to it.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets, because good journalism isn’t free)
With government on the verge of resting, sexual harassment, Chinatown deal, secret FBI recordings stir Tim Mapes case (Chicago Tribune)
Anybody who thought the perjury trial of Democratic insider Tim Mapes would be a dull examination of his seven alleged lies before a federal grand jury was in for a big surprise.
Instead, the ongoing case against Mapes has turned into an autopsy of how the record reign of his former boss, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, began to fall apart.
It’s a story that has many layers of intrigue, including a sexual harassment scandal, a Chinatown deal gone awry, the abrupt ouster of Mapes and other Madigan associates, and secret FBI wiretaps that captured much of the melodrama in real time.
Over seven days of testimony, prosecutors rolled out dozens of secretly recorded phone calls, internal emails and other documents collected as part of the massive federal investigation into Madigan and his vaunted political operation.
In piling on the evidence, prosecutors systematically attempted to shred each lie Mapes allegedly told in his March 31, 2021, grand jury appearance, where he is accused of trying to thwart the sweeping investigation that led to Madigan’s racketeering indictment.
With prosecutors expected to rest their case on Monday, Mapes and his defense team then will get to launch a courtroom battle designed to tear down the case against him.
The longtime Madigan chief of staff is charged with perjury and attempted obstruction of justice because he allegedly lied before the grand jury on March 31, 2021 — nearly a year before Madigan’s own indictment.
In essence, Mapes will likely need to come up with convincing arguments and specific excuses for how a guy repeatedly hailed in court by colleagues for keeping the “trains running on time” could suddenly be so forgetful.
Related: Ex-Madigan aide was warned several times that lying to grand jury would result in perjury charges (Capitol News Illinois)
Feds nearly done laying out perjury case against ex-top aide to Michael Madigan (Chicago Sun-Times)
Former lawmaker testifies Madigan confidant urged him to resign at behest of speaker (Capitol News Illinois)
Trump? Who’s he? Republicans avoid talk of indicted GOP frontrunner at State Fair — except for Bailey: ‘I support him 100%’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
A year after Darren Bailey drove into an Illinois State Fair Republican Day rally on a tractor, the former gubernatorial nominee now seeking a seat in Congress hovered in the back of a crowd as he watched fellow Republicans vow to rebuild and unite after bruising losses last year.
Reporters had to look for Bailey to find him. And there were no “Bailey for Congress” signs on the state fairgrounds — a taboo since the downstate farmer is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost in southern Illinois’ 12th District.
There were other taboos on Thursday, as all Republicans given time on the stage to celebrate their day at the fair steered clear of delving into the political impact of former President Donald Trump’s fourth criminal indictment.
Bailey showed no such hesitation when talking with reporters.
Asked if he was once again seeking Trump’s endorsement, the former state senator called the GOP presidential frontrunner “a very smart man.”
“He knows what he’s going to do, but I support him 100%,” Bailey said of Trump. Bailey, who said he hasn’t yet asked the former president for an endorsement, called Trump’s four indictments “bogus” and a “complete witch hunt.”
“We need more attorneys general across the United States actually filing indictments against Joe Biden and many of the other people in office,” Bailey said. “So, this is wrong what’s going on.”
Bost, Bailey’s GOP primary target, did not attend Republican Day events at the fair. Trump also endorsed the incumbent congressman in his reelection bid last year.
The Chicago media is hellbent on the pushing idea that Darren Bailey is the future of the Illinois GOP. He isn’t.
Related: Illinois Republicans try to sidestep Trump factor at state fair while acknowledging strategy shift needed on abortion (Chicago Tribune)
Illinois Republicans vow to become relevant again, deflect on Trump (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Unity – not Trump – is the message at Illinois State Fair Republican Day (Capitol News Illinois)
Opinion: Will 500,000+ new GOP voters embrace mail-in ballots? (Shaw Media)
State Rep. Lance Yednock will not seek reelection in November 2024 (Shaw Media)
State Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa) said Sunday he will not seek reelection in November 2024, but he will serve the remainder of his term.
Yednock has served as a state representative since 2019, besting state Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator) to take back a 76th District State Representative seat long held by Democrats.
“Being the state representative for the 76th District has been one of the greatest privileges and honors of my life,” Yednock said in a statement Sunday. “I will fulfill the rest of my term in the 103rd General Assembly as I feel a very important responsibility to my community to see the job through after being reelected last year.”
Yednock said his moderate views at times have made for strained relations in the House Democratic Caucus. For example, Yednock voted against the Democratic majority regarding the SAFE-T Act. He said he has tried to vote the way his district leans.
“At worst, there were times when I felt my moderation had gotten in the way of the advancement of my community,” Yednock said.
He said getting fellow lawmakers to understand the needs of downstate Illinois and obtaining resources through the budget and programs has been one of the most difficult challenges for him.
It’s been rumored Yednock felt on an island among a leftward-moving caucus. The district went to both Pritzker in ‘22 and and Biden in ‘20, but Republicans will put the full court press on for this seat next year.
It appears Yednock staffer Amy Briel will be seeking the seat next year.
FROM THE ILLINOIZE.COM LAST WEEK
Grundy County Board Chairman Chris Balkema running for Senate
Opinion: Some GOP Strategists Can't Quit Madigan. They Should.
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Former DCFS worker gave $3.2 million to bogus foster care parents, used kickbacks to gamble, indictment says (Chicago Sun-Times)
Feds get on Illinois' case over lengthy Medicaid call wait times (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Dr. Nathaniel Horn, husband of U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, dies (Chicago Tribune)
Thousands of jobs, pennies on the dollar: How Illinois uses prison labor (State Journal-Register)
Illinois hits record jobs level, finally passes pre-pandemic peak (Crain’s Chicago Business)
State seeks to combat food deserts with $20 million program to seed independent grocers (Chicago Tribune)
Illinois video gambling mogul Rick Heidner leased space for years to crooked bingo operation (Chicago Sun-Times)
McLean County Board member Chuck Erickson announces 88th District run (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Editorial: State's high court provides a victory for gun control, but the real test is yet to come (Daily Herald)
Editorial: Despite state's call to action on mental health facilities, not much has changed (Champaign News-Gazette)
Opinion: Politicians and others who opposed ending cash bail now have a duty to help make the law work (Chicago Sun-Times)
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