T. John Lesinski
T. John Lesinski | |
|---|---|
William G. Milliken | |
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the Wayne County 7th district Wayne County 1st District (1951–1954) | |
| In office January 1, 1951 – December 31, 1960 Serving with E. Carey, E. Currie, F. Dingman, J. Fitzpatrick, E. Jeffries, P. Kelly, J. Kowalski, C. Lewandowski, D. Lindsay, F. Mahoney, M. Novak, S. Novak, M. O'Brien, J. O'Connor, J. Penczak, C. White, and T. Wilk (1951–1954) M. Griffiths and T. O'Brien (1951–1952) J. Beck and F. Williams (1953–1954) Michael Novak (1955–1960) | |
| Preceded by | E. Carey, E. Currie, F. Dingman, T. Doll, N. Edwards, J. Fitzpatrick, J. Fuller, M. Griffiths, P. Kelly, J. Kowalski, C. Lewandowski, D. Lindsay, F. Mahoney, M. Novak, S. Novak, M. O'Brien, T. O'Brien, J. O'Connor, P. O'Malley, J. Penczak, and T. Wilk |
| Succeeded by | Edward K. Michalski and Michael Novak |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thaddeus John Lesinski April 28, 1925 University of Detroit Law School |
Thaddeus John "T. John" Lesinski, (April 28, 1925 – August 13, 1996), was an American politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan.
Biography
Lesinski was born in
He served as a Democrat in the
Lesinski was the 51st Lieutenant Governor of Michigan serving under Governors John Swainson and George W. Romney. Although George W. Romney was a Republican, Lesinski was a Democrat, and defeated Romney's running mate, former Lieutenant Governor Clarence A. Reid, since the Governor and Lieutenant Governor were at that time elected separately in Michigan. Reid himself won election as a Republican at the same time G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams, a Democrat, was elected governor.
In 1974 Judge Lesinski was the subject of Detroit Free Press articles by David Johnston (later David Cay Johnston) and Ellen Grezch exposing his lavish spending of taxpayer money. Judge Lesinski defended the spending, including buying fancier cars than the Michigan Supreme Court justices drove, saying "the dignity of the court" required top-of-the-line Oldsmobile 98s. Cartoonist Larry Wright mocked the judge as "Judge T. John Spendthrifski" in a series of political cartoons that ran from Jan. 21 to Jan. 25, 1974, in the Detroit Free Press.
He was a Partner of the law firm of Lesinski & Paruk of Detroit and later a member of the law firm of Lesinski, Krall, Murphy & O'Neil of Detroit, Troy, and St. Clair Shores.
T. John Lesinski died in 1996 at the age of 71.
References
- The Political Graveyard
- Biographies of Lieutenant Governors of Michigan, 1899 to Present and Listing of Lieutenant Governors, 1835-1898
