Mary K. O’Brien’s and Elizabeth Rochford’s candidacies for the Illinois Supreme Court reflect the latest iteration of one of Illinois’ oldest and saddest political axioms. For decades, there has been one constant catalyst in the election of justices: the Madigan Machine promotes its own.
Case-in-point, the careers of outgoing Chief Justice Anne Burke and former Justice Tom Kilbride, who lost his retention race in a historic judicial election in 2020. Both Burke and Kilbride were backed by the Madigan Machine.
For decades, the most reliable way of being appointed judge was Mike Madigan and Ed Burke’s stamp of approval. According to a Chicago Tribune article from April 17th, 2011 “Madigan’s List”:
“…Many of those full circuit judges were publicly elected with the help of the Democratic Party that Madigan controls — and the judicial slating committee run by Ald. Edward Burke, 14th. While the party wields overt power in those elections, the process of picking associate judges is touted as a way for talented lawyers to make the bench without bowing to political bosses or wooing uninformed and uninterested voters. But politicking for the coveted associate judgeships is rampant in Chicago’s legal community, and the Tribune found one of the best ways to win a spot is to be on what is widely referred to as ‘Madigan’s list.’”
Now, two more machine judges – Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford – are rising through the ranks of the Madigan Machine, seeking spots on the State’s highest court.
O’Brien was appointed as an Appellate Court Justice during her final year in the Illinois General Assembly after voting with Madigan 93.6% of the time. O’Brien also “Helped Madigan Regain The Speakership,” according to the State-Journal Register article “Wishing for some goodies for public officials in 1998” from December 28th, 1997. O’Brien also received over $200,000 in political contributions from political groups led by Madigan over the course of her career.
Rochford was also appointed, not elected, to her judgeship. Rochford served for over two decades on the Illinois Court of Claims, which has long been noted as a proving ground of political patronage. Rochford has given over $15,000 to indicted machine boss and Alderman Ed Burke since 1999. She also gave Burke $1,500 just a month after Burke was charged with 14 counts of corruption. When asked about the contribution, Rochford justified it, calling Burke “a longtime friend of the family”.
“Mary K. O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford are the latest chapter in Illinois’ sad history of Madigan Machine-backed judges rising through the ranks of Illinois’ judicial system. Illinois voters can’t afford any more Madigan-backed judges who block anti-corruption reforms. We must elect justices to our state’s highest court who are loyal to the rule of law and the people of Illinois, not to indicted party bosses like Mike Madigan and Ed Burke,” said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe.
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