George W. Lindberg

Born in Crystal Lake, Illinois, Lindberg received his Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University in 1954 and his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law in 1957.

Lindberg was the vice president and legal counsel for John E. Reid and Associates in Chicago from 1955 to 1968, becoming an expert in financial fraud investigations.{{cite web|url=http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/bb&CISOPTR=36716&REC=20|title=Illinois blue book, 1975-1976 :: Illinois Blue Books|website=www.idaillinois.org}} In 1966, Lindberg was elected to the first of three terms in the Illinois House of Representatives, serving until 1972.{{cite web|url=https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/lindberg-george-wakem|title=Lindberg, George Wakem - Federal Judicial Center|website=www.fjc.gov}} During his tenure in the General Assembly, Lindberg was a private practice attorney in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake in McHenry County from 1968 until 1973. While in the state legislature, he was the architect of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. His proposed legislation provided for campaign disclosures, but these provisions did not make the final bill passed by the General Assembly. Lindberg also served as chair of a special Illinois House committee investigating judicial misconduct, which resulted in the resignation of two Illinois Supreme Court justices.

File:George W. Lindberg circa 1976 (3x4).jpg

In 1972, Lindberg won election as the comptroller of Illinois and served until 1977. Lindberg's voluntary disclosure of personal political spending from his 1972 campaign—something he did every year as comptroller—was a first for an Illinois statewide-officeholder, and drew widespread praise. He was defeated for re-election in 1976 by Democrat Michael Bakalis.

After completing his term as comptroller, Lindberg was appointed Deputy State Attorney General for the state of Illinois, and served from 1977 to 1978 before winning election in 1978 as a judge in the Illinois Appellate Court representing the Second Judicial (Elgin) District. Ten years later, he was retained for a second ten-year term with 78% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/judge/LINDBERG/GWLBIO.HTM|title=U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Biographical Data Sheet for Judge George W. Lindberg|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320052403/http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/judge/LINDBERG/GWLBIO.HTM|archivedate=20 March 2012}} He served on the appellate court until his appointment to the Federal Bench in 1989.

{{s-start}}

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Year

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Office

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Election

!

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Subject

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Party

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Votes

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |%

!

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Opponent

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Party

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |Votes

!bgcolor=#CCCCCC |%

|-

|1976

|Illinois Comptroller

|General

|

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |George W. Lindberg (Inc.)

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |2,117,977

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |47.55

|

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Michael Bakalis

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |2,298,074

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |51.59

|-

|1972

|Illinois Comptroller

|General

|

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |George W. Lindberg

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |Republican

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |2,217,440

|bgcolor=#FFE8E8 |51.16

|

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Dean Barringer

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |Democratic

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |2,094,798

|bgcolor=#DDEEFF |48.33

|-

{{s-end}}

On the recommendation of Congressman Henry Hyde, Lindberg was nominated by President George H. W. Bush on September 21, 1989, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois vacated by Prentice Marshall. Lindberg was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 3, 1989, and received his commission on November 6, 1989. Lindberg assumed senior status on June 21, 2001 and assumed inactive senior status on December 31, 2012.{{cite web |title=SENIOR U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE GEORGE W. LINDBERG ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT |url=https://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/_assets/_news/LindbergRetire.pdf |website=U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois |accessdate=22 October 2018}} He remained on senior status until his death on March 19, 2019.

Kathleen Zellner, noted for exonerating convicted prisoners, clerked for the judge.

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{FJC Bio|nid=1383916}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101108143948/http://www.ioc.state.il.us/Office/history.cfm#LINDBERG Illinois Comptroller web site - History of the Office - Lindberg]

{{s-start}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-new|first}}

{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Illinois Comptroller|years=1972, 1976}}

{{s-aft|after=John W. Castle}}

{{s-legal}}

{{s-bef|before=Prentice Marshall}}

{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois}}|years=1989–2001}}

{{s-aft|after=Amy St. Eve}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before=Michael J. Howlett
as Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts}}

{{s-ttl|title=Illinois Comptroller|years=1973–1977}}

{{s-aft|after=Michael Bakalis}}

{{s-end}}

{{Illinois Comptrollers}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindberg, George Wakem}}

Category:1932 births

Category:2019 deaths

Category:Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives

Category:Comptrollers of Illinois

Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Category:United States district court judges appointed by George H. W. Bush

Category:Northwestern University alumni

Category:Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni

Category:Judges of the Illinois Appellate Court

Category:Illinois lawyers

Category:People from Crystal Lake, Illinois

Category:20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly