Keeping Up With The Madigans

***EDITOR’S NOTE: Sam Adams Alliance interns have recently taken some immersion classes in blogging, and will be testing their skills here in the next few weeks. This post comes from our Judgepedia.org intern, Mark Szczuka.***

Of the many beneficiaries of roughly $9 billion in Illinois taxes is the Illinois Arts Council (IAC), which is set to receive approximately $18 million for its various projects intended for the public. While every state has some kind of artistic initiative, what’s curious in Illinois is that the chairman of the IAC is Shirley Madigan, the wife of House Speaker Michael Madigan, and mother of Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

The extent of power of this family is extraordinary. Michael Madigan has presided as House Speaker for more than thirty years. Shirley Madigan has presided as chairman of the IAC for more than twenty years. And Lisa has presided as Attorney General for over six years. Furthermore, Shirley Madigan sits on the board of directors for Loyola University Chicago, the alma matter of both Michael and Lisa.

Also, Michael Madigan is the principal attorney at his firm, Madigan & Getzendanner, whose clients are comprised mostly of construction, development, and housing corporations. His firm has nearly 100 big name clients, yet only six attorneys, one of which is often preoccupied with presiding over the Illinois House of Representatives.    

In 2006, Speaker Madigan authorized payment of $8 million to Loyola for various construction projects; a move that angered taxpayers whose public schools were simultaneously going broke.

Any speculation regarding self-dealing here is not surprising. In keeping up with the Madigans, I direct your attention to two websites. The first is Muckety, a database tracking the interconnections of the power players. The second is a list of all the clients represented by Michael Madigan’s half-dozen attorneys at Madigan & Getzendanner. Together, these two resources make connecting the dots much easier—and interesting.