Chicago City Wire

Chicago's Morning Answer host, Dan Proft, spoke about the recent news of Claudine Gay resigning from her role as President of Harvard because of numerous plagiarism violations. Proft made a connection between Gay and local businessman Paul Finnegan from Chicago.

“Claudine Gay did not survive a combination of the comments she made before the House Committee about anti-semitism on the campus of Harvard combined with pretty serious substantial and persuasive allegations that much of her academic career,” Proft said on a recent episode of Chicago Morning Answer.

“By the way, it’s worth noting this has an interesting Chicago connection too. Paul Finnegan is a tribal elder at Harvard; Paul Finnegan is the co-founder of Madison Dearborn partners,” Proft said. “He is one of those corporate chieftains that I often describe as being party to the city of Chicago’s disintegration because they have no core, they have no leadership capacity outside of their universe of making money, and they have no willingness to stand for things that are right.”

Madison Dearborn Partners is a private equity firm located in Chicago. It was started in the 1980’s by John Canning Jr. Since the firm became private in 1992, they have raised over $31 billion and invested in over 160 companies. 

Proft also hosts his podcast “Counterculture” — co-hosted by American Greatness and Restoration News —which was launched in September 2023. He is the co-host of “Chicago’s Morning Answer” weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on AM 560 Chicago. A former Republican candidate for Illinois Governor, Proft attended Northwestern University and received his J.D. from Loyola University-Chicago.