DO YOU THINK FORMER GOVERNOR RYAN WAS A FRAUD AND WHAT SHOULD BE HIS PENALTY FOR FLAGRANTLY ABUSING THE EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY PROCESS?
Former Illinois Governor Faces Prison
By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
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(04-18) 01:54 PDT CHICAGO, (AP) --
When the bad news came, George Ryan handled it without tears or whining.
"Hang in there," the snowy-haired, 72-year-old former governor advised one well-wisher after gathering up his coat and that of wife Lura Lynn as if it had been just another day at court.
"Bye, ladies," he told four courtroom sketch artists who had drawn pictures of him from the beginning of his racketeering and fraud trial six months ago until Monday, when he was convicted of steering millions of dollars in state leases and contracts to political insiders, lying to federal agents and tax fraud.
Ryan had just heard a verdict all but sure to send him to prison for years. But he seemed intent on not giving his adversaries the satisfaction of seeing him turn weak at the end.
Once the state's most powerful Republican, Ryan remained dry-eyed as he vowed to fight on in a federal appeals court to salvage a reputation wrecked by the state's biggest corruption scandal in decades.
"I believe this decision today is not in accordance with the kind of public service that I provided to the people of Illinois over 40 years, and needless to say I am disappointed in the outcome," he said after becoming the state's third former governor convicted in three decades.
"But I feel confident in our appeal and there will be an appeal."
Ryan was convicted of all 18 counts against him — racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud, cheating on his taxes and lying to federal agents. Longtime friend Larry Warner, 67, also was convicted.
The jury, which sat through five months of testimony and reached its decision on the 11th day of deliberations, became a story in itself in the last several weeks after news reports that two jurors had arrest records they had not disclosed to the court.
Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer replaced the two jurors with alternates and ordered the panel to start its work over again. Even before the dismissals, the jury had hinted at turmoil in notes to the judge, who had instructed them to treat each other "with dignity and respect."
Ryan was convicted of steering state contracts and leases to Warner and other insiders. In return, he accepted expense-paid vacations in Jamaica, California and Mexico as well as gifts ranging from $145,000 in loans for his brother's floundering business to a free golf bag.
He also was convicted of dipping into his campaign fund without paying taxes on the money.
Defense attorney Dan K. Webb argued in vain that circumstantial evidence such as the sizable wads of cash that state troopers testified Ryan carried around with him proved nothing.
"We will begin working immediately on post-trial motions to try to get this verdict overturned," Webb told reporters. Warner also plans an appeal.
"We don't take joy in this verdict — to know that the highest office in the State of Illinois was corrupted," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick M. Collins.
Ryan faces a maximum of 20 years in prison plus a $250,000 fine on the racketeering conspiracy count alone, although he most likely will get much less time. Prosecutors declined to say what sentence they will recommend.
None of the jurors said they were disillusioned with Illinois politics despite a far-reaching tapestry of corruption that emerged from the witness stand.
"I think he's just one bad egg in the whole basket," said James Cwick, 22, a loading dock supervisor. "There are many people who are doing a great job out there."
Robert Grant, special agent in charge of the FBI's Chicago office, told reporters he hoped "this case begins the end of political prostitution that seems to have been evident in the State of Illinois and begins a resurrection of honest government and services in this state that so many people have demanded."
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Associated Press writers Megan Reichgott, Tara Burghart, Deanna Bellandi and Carla K. Johnson contributed to this report.
