The Latest Breaking News from John Kness

Wife of ex-top aide to Madigan says he was ‘very sullen, very depressed ... as if he was lost’ after being sacked

Witnesses in the perjury trial of Tim Mapes have said they found his forced resignation in June 2018 to be surprising, unexpected, traumatic. But Tuesday, jurors heard Mapes’ wife describe how he handled being fired amid a #MeToo wave at the Capitol.

Chicago Sun-Times · Aug 22, 2023

Prosecutors rest their case in perjury trial of ex-top aide to Madigan as jurors hear more secret recordings

Defense lawyers for Tim Mapes are expected to call witnesses of their own over the next day or so. They said Monday they weren’t sure whether Mapes will take the stand in his own defense — though it seems unlikely.

Chicago Sun-Times · Aug 21, 2023

Defense of former top aide to Madigan in perjury trial begins with talk of high school reunions, old crushes and a faulty memory

Defense attorneys argued that Tim Mapes did not lie to a grand jury in 2021 but didn’t know or couldn’t remember the answers to certain questions he was asked under oath.

Chicago Sun-Times · Aug 9, 2023

Bribery count against ComEd dismissed three years after agreement blew Michael Madigan probe wide open

Three years to the day after a bribery case unveiled against Commonwealth Edison blew the lid off the investigation into then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, a federal judge dismissed the charges against the utility giant as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office.

Chicago Tribune · Jul 17, 2023

Federal judge dismisses Madigan-related bribery charge against ComEd

The dismissal means ComEd no longer faces criminal charges and avoids conviction, while others have faced prison time as a result of the investigation that targeted former state House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Chicago Sun-Times · Jul 17, 2023

Judge’s ‘people like you’ tirade on Chicago violence didn’t cross the line, appeals court rules

U.S. District Judge John Kness, a Trump appointee, had told a man he was sentencing, “I feel in danger every single day when I drive on the expressway . . . . because of people like you who have absolutely no respect for the law.”

Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 30, 2023

Son of former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo sentenced to one month in federal tax case

Michael Acevedo pleaded guilty to federal charges in December, a year after his father entered his own guilty plea. His brother, Alex Acevedo, is awaiting sentencing.

Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 14, 2023

Judge says he won’t toss portions of perjury indictment against Madigan’s ex-chief of staff

The ruling from U.S. District Judge John Kness keeps the trial of Timothy Mapes on track for Aug. 7.

Chicago Sun-Times · May 24, 2023

Suburban Chicago businessman gets nearly 5 years in prison for bilking $2.6 million from hospitals desperate for COVID-19 masks, buying himself Maseratis

A federal judge on Monday sentenced a Burr Ridge, Illinois, businessman to nearly five years in federal prison for swindling $2.6 million from hospitals seeking coveted protective gear in the traumatic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and blowing much of it on credit cards and luxury cars.

Chicago Tribune · Dec 20, 2022

Feds may delay AT&T Illinois case for 2 years; ex-president pleads not guilty to Madigan-related charges

The hearing came one week after federal prosecutors expanded their case against Michael Madigan and his longtime confidant, Michael McClain, to include an alleged illegal attempt by AT&T Illinois to sway Madigan.

Chicago Sun-Times · Oct 21, 2022