45 Facts About Michael Madigan

Michael Joseph Madigan was born on April 19,1942 and is an American politician who is the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Michael Madigan was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United States, having held the position for all but two years from 1983 to 2021.

Michael Madigan served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021.

Michael Madigan represented the 27th District from 1971 to 1983, the 30th district from 1983 to 1993, and the 22nd district from 1993 to 2021.

On January 11,2021, Michael Madigan announced he would be suspending his effort to be elected to a nineteenth term as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, and on January 13, he was replaced by fellow Democrat Emanuel "Chris" Welch.

On March 2,2022, Michael Madigan was indicted on federal racketeering charges.

Michael Madigan is set to stand on trial in April 2024.

Michael Madigan carried with him very strong feelings in favor of many of the enactments of the New Deal.

Michael Madigan was born on April 19,1942, and was raised in the Clearing neighborhood of Chicago.

Michael Madigan graduated from Saint Adrian's Elementary School, St Ignatius College Prep on the west side of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame.

Michael Madigan's father suffered a heart attack at age 58, and a fatal heart attack at age 60, in 1966.

In 1972, Madigan founded the private law firm of Madigan and Getzendanner with Vincent J "Bud" Getzendanner Jr.

In 1976, Michael Madigan married Shirley Murray, a divorced law firm receptionist with a young daughter, Lisa, whom Michael Madigan adopted; Lisa later became Attorney General of Illinois in 2003.

In 1986 Michael Madigan urged Adlai Stevenson III to enter the Democratic primary for Illinois governor.

Michael Madigan succeeded his protege and former chief of staff, Gary LaPaille.

Michael Madigan fired the state party staff, closed its headquarters in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and moved it to Springfield, Illinois, to the same office building as his campaign finance committee staff.

In November 1970 Michael Madigan was elected to represent the 22nd District in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Michael Madigan recruited candidates who appealed to south suburban Chicago voters and the Illinois House Democratic Majority political action committee he controls spent $272,000 in six south suburban races.

Democrats won back nine seats in the Illinois House in the elections of November 1996, regained a majority, and Michael Madigan resumed the Speaker's role and held it until January 2021.

Michael Madigan is the longest-serving state House speaker in United States history.

Some political observers were critical of the level of control Michael Madigan came to hold over Illinois politics, describing him as the state's political boss.

In 2016, Michael Madigan was the subject and namesake of a documentary made by the Illinois Policy Institute.

In January 2021, Michael Madigan announced he would be suspending his campaign for Speaker of the Illinois House after it became apparent that he would not receive the 60 votes necessary to win.

When talks stalled, Michael Madigan invited the entire House to accompany him to budget negotiations.

The relationship between Blagojevich and Michael Madigan hit its low in October 2007, when Blagojevich fired Bronwyn Rains, wife of Michael Madigan's chief of staff Timothy Mapes, from her position of psychologist with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

On December 15,2008, Michael Madigan announced that he was taking steps to initiate impeachment proceedings against Blagojevich after the governor was arrested on charges of conspiracy and fraud.

Michael Madigan named Illinois House of Representatives Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie to Chair the 21-member House committee on impeachment.

Michael Madigan refused to testify in the inquiry over his advocacy for more than 40 applicants to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Michael Madigan recommended at least 26 individuals for jobs at Metra from 1983 to 1991.

Michael Madigan has admitted that he is more likely to return phone calls from campaign contributors than from non-contributors.

Additionally, over the past 15 years, Michael Madigan raised more than $658,000 in donations from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Legislative PAC.

Michael Madigan has said that he would rather increase income taxes than sales taxes.

On May 25,2016, Michael Madigan introduced a budget plan that increased spending and "set the state on autopilot for the next year", according to the Chicago Tribune.

Michael Madigan's plan allocated $700 million more in funds to public schools.

The state estimated that it would bring in approximately $40.5 billion in revenue, meaning that Michael Madigan's budget spends around $7 billion more than the state would have available through tax revenue.

State representative Lou Lang, a deputy under Michael Madigan, formally introduced Michael Madigan's proposal that would change how Illinois taxpayers are taxed at the state level.

Michael Madigan was instrumental in the passage of SB-1, a plan that amended state employee pension plans by drastically reducing the constitutionally protected benefits of Illinois state employees in retirement.

On February 18,2021, Michael Madigan announced through a letter to the Speaker of the Illinois House that he would be resigning from the state representative post which will be effective at the end of February.

Getzendanner and four other staff attorneys handle the tax appeals, while Michael Madigan brings in clients.

Michael Madigan nominated Joseph Berrios, a former Illinois State Representative, then a Commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review.

Michael Madigan is not Lisa's biological father: she was born Lisa Murray to Shirley and criminal attorney Joel Murray.

In 2002 Michael Madigan helped Lisa garner more campaign contributions in her run for Illinois Attorney General than even the candidates for governor that year.

Michael Madigan was accused of using taxpayer dollars for political purposes.

Michael Madigan's staffers made numerous visits at public expense to contested Illinois House districts in the winter and spring before the November 2000 election.

Lisa Michael Madigan was running for Attorney General that year and called the allegations baseless.