Daniel J. Walker (August 6, 1922 – April 29, 2015) was an American lawyer, businessman and politician from Illinois.

He moved to Illinois between the wars to attend Northwestern University School of Law, entering politics in the state during the 1960s.

Running against the machine's candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, Walker scored a rare upset in the March 1972 primary election.

His post political career was marked by high living, but marred by a guilty plea to bank fraud and perjury at the peak of the late 1980s savings and loan crisis.

[3][4] After a year and a half in federal prison, Walker retired to the San Diego metro area and wrote several books before he died in 2015.

When Walker was elected, he stopped the Illinois Department of Transportation from pursuing this expressway project.

Though Simon had a "good government" reputation, Walker attacked Simon for soliciting and accepting the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party chaired by Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, which Walker charged reflected servility to the "Daley Machine".

[14][15] The enmity between Walker and Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley's political organization was deep.

Walker's deputy governor, Victor deGrazia, later said: "I knew from the beginning that every time Daley looked at Walker, he saw the Church of England and the British suppression of the Irish, and when Dan would look at Daley, he would see the quintessential politician who was only interested in political gain.

He did obtain passage of the first law requiring disclosure of campaign contributions and issued a series of executive orders prohibiting corrupt practices by state employees.

[citation needed] In 1976 Walker was defeated in the Democratic primary, losing to Illinois Secretary of State Michael Howlett,[18] the candidate supported by Mayor Daley, by a 54% to 46% margin.

In the 1980s, Walker entered the private sector by forming Butler-Walker, Inc, a chain of self-named quick oil change franchises later bought by Jiffy Lube,[19] and acquiring two savings and loan associations, one of which was First American Savings and Loan Association of Oak Brook which would later be declared insolvent.

Walker agreed to a plea bargain with Federal prosecutors; he pleaded guilty to bank fraud in the loan, perjury (based on dealings by the Association with his son), and filing false financial statements.

[citation needed] In 1987, news media reported Walker received over a million dollars in fraudulent loans for his business and repairs on his yacht Governor's Lady.

[22] Walker served eighteen months of his seven-year sentence and was released in 1989 after his attorneys cited his failing health.

[2] Judge Williams ordered him released from prison based on "time served" and placed on probation until the two loans in question were repaid.

There was no cost to taxpayers for his specific loans,[1] but in 1989, First American and another Chicago area S&L were bailed out by tax payers for just under $80 million.

[25] In 2007, he published The Maverick and the Machine, in which he discussed his political career, his experiences in prison, and his business and law troubles.

After his plea deal was reached in 1987, Walker stated, "I have broken the law and pleaded guilty, I have deep regrets and no excuses.

"[26] Walker died on April 29, 2015, at a veterans hospital in Chula Vista, California, from heart failure, aged 92.