Patrick J. O'Connor
| Patrick J. O'Connor | |
|---|---|
|
City of Chicago Alderman from the 40th Ward |
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Assumed office May 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Ivan Rittenberg |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 21, 1954 Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara O'Connor (m. 1979) |
| Residence | Chicago, Illinois |
| Alma mater |
Loyola University (B.A.) Loyola University (J.D.) |
| Profession | Alderman |
| Religion | Catholicism |
| Website | Official Website |
Patrick J. O'Connor (born 1955) has been an alderman in Chicago's City Council representing the 40th Ward on the North Side of the city since elected in 1983 at age 28. O'Connor was an unsuccessful candidate in the Democratic Party primary election for Illinois's 5th congressional district special election, 2009.
O'Connor is the son of a Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Streets and Sanitation, Bureau of Equipment Services, under Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.
O'Connor graduated from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1979. Fresh from law school, O'Connor successfully sued the city for back pay for his father after Mayor Jane Byrne fired him.
O'Connor is a member of the Democratic Party.
During the tenure of Mayor Harold Washington, who was black, O'Connor, who is white, caucused with the mostly-white opposition block in City Council known as the "Vrdolyak 29". O'Connor chaired the City Council's Committee on Education as a freshman alderman.
In his first term a federal grand jury investigated O'Connor for providing, in late 1983 and again in late 1984, year-end jobs on the Education Committee staff for fifteen persons, including his mother-in-law, his brother-in-law, his sister-in-law, wives of two former members of his law firm, and the wife of a former staff aide. Some of those hired admitted they did not realize they were on the City payroll. "All in the Family" was a popular name for O'Connor's hiring practices, and O'Connor became known as the "City Hall Santa." O'Connor compared his hiring practices to those of Britain's royal family. When asked at a City Hall news conference if the practice amounted to nepotism, O'Connor said: "Absolutely. I think nepotism is a system that has been around a long time. It has worked very well in England. I don't think it's been much more of a problem here."
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