Michael John Padden (born November 13, 1946) is a lawyer and politician from Spokane Valley, Washington.

In the 1976 U.S. presidential election, Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate and incumbent, had lost the race to Democrat and former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter.

[8] In 2007, evidence surfaced that Padden used his influence as a judge to help direct more than $7.5 million in fees and interest payments to a former employer.

[9] At Padden's request, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct has issued a statement confirming that it examined complaints about Padden's 1999 selection of a former client as the official collection agency for District Court but found nothing to support an ethics violation.

The agency, however, refused to disclose how it arrived at its conclusion or what the initial examination entailed.