Who is Michael Madigan? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Michael Joseph Madigan

Age: 82 Years, 82 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Shirley Madigan (m. 1976)

father: Michael J. Madigan Sr.

mother: Mary Rita Madigan

siblings: Marita McGivney

children: Andrew Madigan, Lisa Madigan, Nicole Madigan, Tiffany Madigan

Born Country: United States

Political Leaders American Men

City: Chicago, Illinois

Notable Alumni: Loyola University

U.S. State: Illinois

More Facts

education: University Of Notre Dame, Loyola University

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Childhood & Early Life

Madigan was born to Mary Rita Madigan (nee, Rice) and Michael Joseph Madigan Sr. on April 19, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. He grew up in Clearing, Chicago.

Madigan attended ‘St. Adrian Elementary School’ and later graduated from ‘St. Ignatius College Prep in 1960. He completed B.A. from the ‘University of Notre Dame,’ Notre Dame, Indiana, in 1964, and J.D. from ‘Loyola University Chicago. In 1967’

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Career

Immediately after his graduation, Michael Madigan began serving the government as a hearing examiner for the ‘Illinois Commerce Commission.’ In 1969, as an assistant corporation counsel for the ‘Law Department’ of City of Chicago. At the age of 27, Madigan took the plunge into politics and became the Democratic committeeman of the 13th ward, the youngest committeeman of Chicago at that time.

In 1970, he was elected as a delegate to the ‘Illinois Constitutional Convention,’ his first time as a state representative. In November of the same year, he was elected as the representative of 22nd District in the ‘Illinois State House of Representatives’ and is doing so since then.

He partnered with Vincent J. (“Bud”) Getzendanner Jr, his senior fellow graduate from ‘Loyola,’ and formed ‘Madigan and Getzendanner,’ a private law firm, in 1972. It focuses on representing taxpayers in ad valorem real estate appeals.

Circa 1983, he became the speaker of the ‘Illinois House.’ He has held this post since then but for the term between ’95 and ’97. For the current and the previous terms, he was elected unopposed.

Controversies

Although he is the longest-serving speaker of ‘Illinois House,’ he has had his share of controversies. In 2002, he was accused of using public money for his political gains and election campaigns. Also, in the same year, he was in a spot because of involvement in his step-daughter, Lisa Madigan’s campaign for Attorney General of Illinois.

After 2002, his relationship with then-governor Rod Blagojevich began to sour in 2002. In 2008, he initiated the impeachment proceedings on him, as he was arrested on charges of corruption, fraud, and conspiracy.

’The Chicago Tribune on May 9, 2009, reported that some of the lawmakers, including Madigan, had accepted financial favors from relatives of a few 100s of ineligible students for admissions to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

It has appeared in the press that Madigan’s team supporting Joseph Berrios’ 2010 campaign for Assessor of Cook County is a clear case of conflict of interest.

The tax policies and budget plans that were introduced between 2011 and 2016 consolidated its position as one of the most tax burdened state in the U.S. and Midwest region.

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He has been accused of pulling strings to hire and promote his supporters at Metra, a commuter railroad in Chicago, which eventually transpired into a scandal led to an investigation in 2013.

Although his move to cut the pension of the Illinois state employees in retirement was successful, it was ruled as unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2015.

On the New Year’s Day of 2016, ‘The Chicago Tribune’ published a feature on his controversial fundraising measures. It claimed that he took undue advantage of the loopholes in state campaign finance laws.

In nearly five decades of his political career, Madigan gave his first deposition in 2018.

In 2019, Madigan as the speaker of ‘Illinois House’ passed the Reproductive Health Act, albeit it was a sensitive issue.

Family & Personal Life

Madigan’s father served as an investigator for the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and assisted Michael Flynn, then clerk of Cook County. He was a well known and admired person in the community, and a park is named after him.

His younger sister’s name is Marita McGivney who is married to Jack McGivney

In 1976, he married Shirley, a law firm reception, a divorcee with a ten-year-old daughter, Lisa whom he adopted as a step-daughter. Later, the couple was blessed with three children Tiffany, Nicole, and Andrew.

Shirley chairs the ‘Illinois Art Council.’ Lisa is also a ‘Democratic Party’ and worked as attorney general for the state of Illinois between 2003 and 2019.

Trivia

Madigan was barred from receiving Communion by Bishop Thomas Paprocki for his involvement in passing the Reproductive Health Act.

His law firm represented 45 of 150 high-value buildings in Chicago, which is double the number of those served by its closest rival. It is the most sought after firm for commercial tax appeals.

Michael Madigan Biography