THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Mapes trial underway...State Fair opens today...Is the Illinois business climate improving?
August 10, 2023
Happy State Fair Opening Day, boys and girls.
The ribbon cutting is at 10am. The Twilight Parade is at 5:30. Governor Pritzker participates in both.
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‘We’ll protect the boss’: Perjury trial kicks off for Madigan’s chief of staff, but defense says no evidence he lied (Chicago Sun-Times)
An attorney for Michael Madigan’s longtime chief of staff on Wednesday likened the top aide’s 2021 visit to a federal grand jury to a high school reunion — featuring a pop quiz in which failure results in a felony.
“Tim Mapes did not lie in the grand jury,” defense attorney Katie Hill argued as Mapes’ perjury trial began in earnest. “He did not attempt to obstruct justice.”
And, she said, the trial jury he now faces will not hear any direct evidence that Mapes knew and remembered the things he was asked about before the grand jury March 31, 2021.
It amounted to the fullest defense yet of Mapes, who served for two decades as a top aide to Madigan, Illinois’ once-powerful former House speaker. Mapes testified for hours in 2021 and was asked more than 650 questions by prosecutors, records show.
Federal prosecutors have charged Mapes with perjury for allegedly lying on seven occasions during that visit to the grand jury. The questions on those occasions revolved around work that had been done by another Springfield insider, Michael McClain, for Madigan.
Mapes is also charged with attempted obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to block the feds’ aggressive investigation of Madigan and McClain, who both now face criminal charges.
Following opening statements from Hill and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur, former state Rep. Greg Harris took the stand as the trial’s first witness. Harris, a Democrat who served two terms as House majority leader, began his testimony by offering basic information about the Illinois General Assembly.
Earlier Wednesday, MacArthur kicked off opening statements in the trial by quoting Mapes’ own words — in which he allegedly said, “we’ll protect the boss.”
“I always try to protect him. I mean, that’s my goal,” Mapes allegedly said. “… We’ll protect the boss and so will you. That’s what you gotta remember.”
When MacArthur finished, Hill stepped up to speak on Mapes’ behalf. She told jurors to imagine being forced to take a pop quiz on their way into their high school reunion.
Prosecutors are expected to largely use secret FBI recordings of McClain’s phone calls to undermine Mapes’ grand jury testimony.
Related: Tim Mapes perjury trial opens in earnest with clash over alleged lies in sprawling federal probe (Chicago Tribune)
Former top Michael Madigan aide on trial: What you need to know — and what’s next for Tim Mapes (Chicago Tribune)
In perjury trial, Madigan’s ex-chief of staff will test limits of loyalty (Capitol News Illinois)
Corn dogs, livestock and the Butter Cow: Illinois State Fair kicks off Thursday in Springfield (Chicago Tribune)
The Illinois State Fair kicks off in Springfield on Thursday showcasing carnival rides, horse races, livestock shows, live music and a perennial favorite, the “Butter Cow.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was on hand for the unveiling of the Butter Cow sculpture Wednesday afternoon. Sculptor Sarah Pratt’s work depicts a cow being milked by dairy farmer Lorilee Schultz of Orangeville. A fixture at the fair since 1922, the cow celebrates Illinois dairy farmers.
“This year marks the 170th anniversary of the Illinois State Fair and although a lot has changed since our very first fair in 1853, one thing remains strong and steadfast and that’s our state’s agriculture tradition,” Pritzker said at the ceremony. “It’s a legacy that we’re proud of.”
The theme of this year’s fair is “Harvest the Fun,” touting some of the multimillion-dollar construction improvements made to the fairgrounds in the last four years.
Elected officials will gather for annual pep-rally-type events on the fairgrounds with Pritzker and other Democrats congregating next Wednesday for Governor’s Day, and the state’s top GOP politicians gathering the next day for Republican Day.
Related: 2023 State Fair butter cow unveiled (Capitol News Illinois)
State FFA officers will serve as grand marshals for Twilight Parade (State Journal-Register)
Illinois State Fair concerts: How to see REO Speedwagon, Old Dominion, The Doobie Brothers (Peoria Journal Star)
Illinois' rank as a place to do business rises — to 17th (Crain’s Chicago Business)
We’re 17th!
Not too many states would tout being ranked 17th out of 50, but everything is relative in the field of economic development and the Pritzker administration is definitely crowing after a new report suggests the state has made some progress but still has some major work to do to make itself attractive to business.
The study is from CNBC, the financial news network, which for the fourth year in a row raised Illinois’ ranking. The state now is 17th, up from 19th last year, right behind Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and just ahead of New York and New Jersey. Illinois was ranked 30th as recently as 2019.
While Illinois, indeed, is improving by some aspects of CNBC’s data, it’s also struggling on others.
The state’s relative cost of doing business worsened from 31st to 32nd. “Business friendliness” was an abysmal 39th, the overall economy 33rd, and workforce — usually considered a strength by local leaders — no better than 28th, down two ranks from 2022.
All of that, indeed, gives Pritzker something good to talk about. But it also should provide business groups and Republicans ammunition in their calls for change.
Related: Is Illinois a good place for businesses? Here's where the state ranks in CNBC study (Peoria Journal Star)
THIS WEEK ON THEILLINOIZE.COM
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
160 years later, activist Elizabeth Packard honored in place of psychiatrist she exposed (Capitol News Illinois)
Pritzker’s a ‘geek’ for computing science that Emanuel calls ‘cutting edge of the next generation’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
Watchdog overseeing abuse, neglect cases at state-run facilities resigns for Chicago post (Capitol News Illinois)
These are the Illinois vanity license plates denied by Secretary of State in 2022 (Peoria Journal Star)
What do you think a new Illinois flag should look like? (WBEZ)
Two Democrats challenging Elik (Alton Telegraph)
Rep. Jeff Keicher heralded by state nature conservancy for land restoration efforts (Shaw Media)
Ezike talks Sinai Chicago finances, COVID decisions before City Club (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Illinois announces $10M in grants to strengthen student mental health (Quad-City Times)
Missouri legislators thump Illinois in Softball Showdown at Busch Stadium (Belleville News-Democrat)
Illinois congressional leaders urge Biden to grant FEMA relief for storm damage (Chicago Sun-Times)
Obama Foundation has its best fundraising year yet, with assets near $1 billion (Chicago Tribune)
Keeping campaign promises will take time, top Johnson aide says: ‘Nothing can be done in a single year’ (Chicago Sun-Times)
Embattled DuPage clerk's spending under county board microscope again (Daily Herald)
Leo Louchios, an adviser to Jesse White and Alexi Giannoulias and Greektown staple, dies at 66 (Chicago Sun-Times)
‘The Fugitive’ at 30: Andrew Davis made a great Chicago movie. Here are some of the secret ingredients (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: AG's abortion gag law goes nowhere in court showdown (Champaign News-Gazette)
Opinion: Only 4 weeks away from candidate petition circulation (Shaw Media)