Madigan pens op-ed from prison
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s Chicago Business op-ed entitled “Pritzker should say ‘yes’ to Trump’s tax credit for students”…
The Federal Tax Credit Scholarship of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act lets taxpayers claim a deduction of up to $1,700 on their federal income taxes if they donate to a qualified scholarship-granting organization.
The scholarships provide for a wide range of education-related expenses for students in elementary or secondary school. Every state’s taxpayers are already paying to provide these benefits, but only those states that choose to receive them will do so. Gov. JB Pritzker has his reservations. Meanwhile, the people of Illinois lose out.
Who wrote it? Check this out…
Michael J. Madigan is former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He is currently serving 7.5 years in federal prison for using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates
Not sure that having MJM advocate for this action was such a good idea. Then again, President Trump is mulling a round of 250 pardons as part of the July 4th national celebration.
- New Day - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 1:59 pm:
Why in the world would he agree to write that OpEd without controlling the author’s ID content? As they say, the juice is really really really not worth the squeeze on this.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:02 pm:
I take some satisfaction in seeing Madigan genuflect before the orange one. That has to sting a bit.
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:03 pm:
Two out of three convicts support Trump’s policies?
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:11 pm:
When Mike Madigan speaks?…Who cares?
- Earnest - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:12 pm:
He just needs to find the current rate and middleman and purchase the appropriate amount of crypto. Probably cheaper than the legal fees.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:15 pm:
- Why in the world would he agree to write that OpEd without controlling the author’s ID content? -
I doubt he thinks his current status is a secret. The bigger question is why in the world would Crains agree to publish this?
- Let there be Sunshine - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:18 pm:
At the end of the day who is going to have more influence with our Governor…..Ms Gates….or Mr Madigan….
- thingamajaig - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:23 pm:
He’s just doing what he’s gotta do to get his pardon. I respect it.
- Give us Barabbas - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:25 pm:
Madigan is appealing to trump’s vanity to get a pardon, like Blago before him. It’s a smart play, and has even odds of working because the Chaos Goblin enjoys messing with democrats and Chicago.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:30 pm:
If Madigan is this desperate for a pardon to get out of prison then perhaps he should hire Rod Blagojevich to “lobby” for him.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:31 pm:
===perhaps he should hire Rod Blagojevich to “lobby” for him. ===
The ultimate irony.
- Eric Zorn - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:41 pm:
>> Why in the world would he agree to write that OpEd without controlling the author’s ID content? >>>.
That’s not how op-ed author ID italic shirttails are supposed to work, though they often contain far too much puffery. I have unsuccessfully argued that the author IDs should be at the top of opeds, not the bottom.
- Northern Observer - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:49 pm:
Mike Madigan strikes me as a former star ballplayer who lived for the game and simply can’t accept he’s been benched. I believe it is just as likely he can’t stand watching this simple trick box game go unsolved as it is that he’s angling for a pardon from Donald Trump. As for Crain’s, it will get them some additional eyeballs. Bully for them…
- The Opinions Bureau - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 2:58 pm:
“My first job was on the back of a garbage truck, and were it not for the priests at St. Ignatius High School encouraging me to work hard at my studies, it could have remained my job until retirement.”
So *that’s* who’s to blame
- Stuart - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:02 pm:
It’s nice to see some backflap to our current Governor. Regardless of motive at least someone is not afraid to speak out against the current machine shotcaller…Governor Pritzker. Madigan concisely points out why it’s absurd this Governor refuses to support this Program. Further…it’s pretty sad there was not a lot of press coverage and like no one really spoke out when the Governor let the Rauner Scholarship Program die.
- twowaystreet - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:14 pm:
Madigan to himself as he looks over the draft, taking a nice bite out of an apple, “You still got it, Mikey J.”
Also, would have love to be in the Crain’s editorial meeting when they said you’ll never guess who sent us an op-ed submission.
- Remember the Alamo II - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:14 pm:
MJM has always been shrewd and this op-ed comes as no surprise. He is writing in public support of something that Trump wants. The issue of the op-ed is something he would historically support so it is not like he is selling out his beliefs to pander to Trump. He knows that this op-ed is going to have no impact on whether Pritzker supports the tax credits, but he does know that Trump usually acts emotionally based on whether an individual flatters him or supports his ideas. Its actually a really smart move by MJM. What is his downside?
- Give us Barabbas - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:16 pm:
The Rauner scholarships were a scam as well as a shot fired against public schools and teacher’s unions, it was never about the kids.
- twowaystreet - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:19 pm:
Someone needs to tell Madigan that if he wants the pardon bad enough, he’s going to need a smartphone and Truth Social account.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:21 pm:
===What is his downside? ===
Nothing at all. The downside could be to the issue at hand, however.
- Billionaire Budster - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:49 pm:
MJM would be out of prison in one hour if he issued a press statement stating that Donald Trump was correct with his allegation of vote fraud that cost him the 2020 election. Madigan could say that as a former Democratic Boss he saw fraud the firsthand and offer to testify in Federal Court that all Democrats cook the books and know how to rig the voting machines.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 3:54 pm:
- MJM has always been shrewd -
I’d beg to differ since he trusted McClain to be his right hand man. But otherwise you’re right, this is a no brainer for Madigan, but dopey for anyone that supports the program.
- Iron Duke - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 4:24 pm:
If President Obama or Biden proposed the exact same policy would anyone even think about opposing this program?
Of course not.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 4:40 pm:
If Trump would pardon the former president of Honduras, serving a 45 year sentence on conspiracy to smuggle 400 TONS of cocaine into the U.S., he’d pardon MJM for the spite value–and because he can.
As a ploy to get out of the joint, it sure beats digging a tunnel with a sharpened spoon.
- Steve - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 5:21 pm:
Madigan and Cullerton were both for the tax credits because enough voters in their districts wanted them. This isn’t a big issue in this state. You can make good arguments for and against this. Anyway, I’m not actually surprised that Madigan wrote this . It actually could get him out of jail early. You can’t blame a guy for trying.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 5:37 pm:
===If President Obama or Biden proposed the exact same policy===
That’s an odd victimized framing. They didn’t propose that because they wouldn’t.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 7:34 pm:
- If President Obama or Biden proposed the exact same policy would anyone even think about opposing this program? -
I don’t speak for anyone but myself, but I would wholeheartedly oppose it.
- Macon deliberations - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 8:53 pm:
Imagine being a public school teacher in West Lawn seeing this, this dude has dragged the reputation of your neighborhood through the mud for years unrefuted, all just to throw their public schools under the bus too.
- Amalia - Thursday, May 14, 26 @ 11:52 pm:
Feel dirty reading it. hope the publisher feels filthy dirty.