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News :: Political-Economy |
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George Ryan Indicted |
Current rating: 0 |
by AP via gehrig
(No verified email address) |
17 Dec 2003
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Former Illinois Governor Indicted on Corruption Charges
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 3:16 p.m. ET
CHICAGO (AP) -- Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of taking payoffs, gifts and vacations in return for government contracts and leases while he was governor and secretary of state.
Ryan, 69, a Republican known worldwide as a leading critic of the death penalty, gradually became the focus of a corruption investigation that began even before his 1998 election as governor. The scandal was a factor in his 2001 decision not to seek a second term.
The investigation initially focused on bribes exchanged for licenses for unqualified truck drivers but was later expanded to a range of alleged bribery and other corruption in the Ryan era.
Ryan, who served as secretary of state from 1991 to 1999, has said he knew there was a culture of corruption in the secretary of state's office but was unaware of the specifics.
The indictment alleges that for more than a decade Ryan let his friends wield great influence in state government and profit from his positions as secretary of state and governor. Ryan allegedly allowed some of his friends, who were not state employees, to steer state contracts in return for bribes and gave others insider information that they could profit from, while ignoring complaints of wrongdoing from employees and others.
In return, the indictment alleges, Ryan and his family received illegal cash payments, gifts, vacations and personal services from his friends and associates. The indictment did not list a dollar figure for Ryan but said members of his family got cash loans and gifts totaling $167,000.
``The charged conduct by former Gov. Ryan reflects a disturbing violation of trust,'' U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement. ``Ryan is charged with betraying the citizens of Illinois for over a decade on state business, both large and small.''
Ryan did not immediately return a telephone call for comment and no one answered the door at his home in Kankakee. Attorney Timothy Rooney, a partner of Ryan defense attorney Dan K. Webb, said there would be no immediate comment but that a statement would be released.
Ryan became the 66th person charged in the investigation; 59 people and his campaign committee have been convicted so far.
Ryan, a hearty, deep-voiced former drug store owner, had served as a state representative, lieutenant governor and secretary of state before his election as governor.
The snowy-haired Ryan was a glad-handing, baby-kissing politician of the old school. His selling point with voters was always that he was good at making deals with other officials, and thus could clear away political obstacles and get results.
Soon after his election as governor, though, federal prosecutors began presenting evidence that bribery was widespread at drivers licensing stations when he was secretary of state.
The federal investigation was launched after six children in one family died in a fiery accident on a Wisconsin expressway involving a trucker who may have bought his drivers license.
Prosecutors traced $170,000 in payoff money to the Citizens for Ryan campaign fund.
Prosecutors eventually won convictions against two of Ryan's top aides, including his chief of staff and the inspector general who was supposed to ferret out misconduct in the secretary of state's office but admitted spending seven years covering up scandals instead.
Ryan declined to seek a second term, and his unpopularity was considered a major reason Republican candidates were routed statewide in the 2002 election.
While his popularity plummeted in his home state, Ryan was winning widespread praise nationally and internationally as a leading critic of capital punishment.
Ryan declared a moratorium on capital punishment in Illinois after it was discovered that 13 wrongfully convicted men had been sent to death row.
``I finally decided that if I was out of office for six months or a year and learned that an innocent man was executed and I didn't do anything about it, that would have been something that would have haunted me for the rest of my life,'' he said in an Associated Press interview.
In January 2003, just before leaving office, he pardoned four condemned prisoners and commuted the death sentences of 167 others to life in prison.
Critics accused Ryan of using the death penalty issue to deflect the scandal arising from the disclosures of corruption. Supporters nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. |
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The Indictment |
by via ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
17 Dec 2003
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The entire text of the indictment is available at this link:
http://news.findlaw.com/nytimes/docs/crim/usryan121703ssi.pdf |
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Re: George Ryan Indicted |
by Wrongly Accused
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
17 Dec 2003
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The man did nothing wrong. Its more Liberal bounty hunting. Leave him alone. He was a hell-uva governor. By far better than blow-job-ovich! |
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You Don't Know What You're Talking About |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
17 Dec 2003
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The president (or on this case, the pResident) appoints federal presecutors. So it sounds more like a case of an embarrassed Republican Party wanting to clean things up that make them look bad.
BTW, except for his heroic stand against the death penalty, probably brought on by the fact that his own troubles reminded him of the human frailty of both the (in)justice system and those who might have actually been rightfully convicted, he was a mediocre giovernor, at best, who continued the long-standing, bi-partisan tradition of Illinois politics to line the pockets of yourself and your friends.
There are plenty of others that need locked up beside him, in both major parties, but at least spare them the death penalty. It should only apply to politicans who voted again in favor of it in hopes of improving their re-election chances. |
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Re: George Ryan Indicted |
by JF
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
17 Dec 2003
Modified: 07:22:42 PM |
U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald was indeed appointed by George W. Bush and confirmed on October 24, 2001. Fitzgerald's illustrious career began with prosecuting major organized crime figures and has recently put him at the forefront of prosectuing international terrorist organizations. Details can be found at the following link:
http://fitzgerald.senate.gov/usattorney/confirm-patfitz.htm
Patrick Fitzgerald's confirmation was supported by U.S. Senators Peter Fitzgerald (R-Illinois) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois).
Some liberal conspiracy.
I have one word for all you facts-impaired conservos lurking out there.
Google. |
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Sad To Say |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
17 Dec 2003
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But even Google isn't much help to the fact-impaired. Too many facts cause even greater confusion... |
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Re: George Ryan Indicted |
by LM
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
18 Dec 2003
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Its funny how the Conservatives are so 'fact impaired' but the Liberals have all the facts... I just think thats kind of humorous. |
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Re: George Ryan Indicted |
by JF
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
18 Dec 2003
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> Its funny how the Conservatives are so 'fact impaired' but the Liberals have all the facts...
You said it, not me.
If you're trying to defend conservatives, you might at least come up with an example of a conservative commentator or journalist who has their facts straight. There are plenty of them.
But finding an example to put in your post requires doing some research using a tool like, say, Google.
I rest my case. |
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Re: George Ryan Indicted |
by LM
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
18 Dec 2003
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I was referring to ML's post. Thank you for pointing me to the Google web site though. I didn't know what Google was... Your kindness and well thought out arguments have changed my view of the world around me. Thankyou |
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Remember Conservatives, Don't Let The Facts Get In Your Way |
by Dept. of Homeland Security
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
18 Dec 2003
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Possession of a college diploma fits the terrorist profile |
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Re: George Ryan Indicted |
by Jack Ryan
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 4
29 Dec 2003
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As one who shares the last name of the former governor, I think he should get the chair for his crimes. This from someone who is Pro Life in all respects. He set back the Republican Party 100 years in Illinois. Way to go Governor, I hope your pardons will prevent you from having a cellmate who thinks you have a "perty mouth".
Jack |
