Ex Governor Ryan indicted ( Illinois Repug)

[RetroLounge]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/ryan17.html

[Ediacara]

1. FEDERAL RACKETEERING INDICTMENT.... PAYOFFS, GIFTS, VACATIONS

Ex-Gov. Ryan indicted

December 17, 2003

BY MIKE ROBINSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former Gov. George Ryan was charged in a federal racketeering indictment Wednesday with taking payoffs, gifts and vacations in return for government contracts and leases while he was 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 growing scandal was a factor in Ryan's 2001 decision not to seek a second term.

The indictment alleges Ryan received illegal cash payments and gifts, vacations and personal services. It says members of his family got cash loans and gifts totaling $167,000.

[dfong63]

2. hard to understand

... how someone who apparently took such a strong stand on principles wrt the death penalty, could be so deeply involved in corruption as alleged here.

[GobGoober]

5. His stance on the death penalty came very late in his term

It was after all of this had already seen the light of day and was so bad he couldn't run for re-election as governor.

The only reason he took the stance on the death penalty was so he would be remembered for something other than being a crook whose briberies for licenses scandal cost the lives of a lot of people.

[Sequoia]

3. Pay Back for releasing death row inmates?

I just heard one of the released speaking this morning on Democracy Now.

This is what happens to you when you try to buck the system. I hope he's found innocent. I can't help but think the people who profit from prisons are behind this. All that lost revenue, boo-hoo.

[Padraig18]

4. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

When I first heard this, my thoughts immediately turned to the Hon. Glenn Poshard, who ran against Ryan and who told people that this was going on, but whose message was literally drowned out by the Ryan media-machine's uncontested 2-week blitz. One of the most honest and fundamentally decent men to ever run for Governor of this State lost because he ran out of money.

That's why money matters, folks.

[Tatiana]

6. Well we knew it was coming.

There was just too much corruption going on in his administration. His rethinking of the death penalty notwithstanding, Ryan was up to no good. It's not fair that he's the only one singled out, but when you do wrong, you should be punished.

[kanrok]

7. Awesome news

It's about time.

[evil_orange_cat]

8. good news for those of us in Illinois who had to...

put up with this windbag for 4 years...

[Padraig18]

9. I want to see him do the 'perp walk'!

Please, God, let it be televised! News conference at 2:30 p.m., live on http://www.wlsam.com!

:toast:

[Padraig18]

10. 22 counts, $322,000!

It took Mr. Fitzgerald 29 minutes to read the precis of the indictment! George is going DOWN! :evilgrin:

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. It's about damn time!

That only took how many years??? :grr:

[Padraig18]

12. 5, since Glenn Poshard broke the story to the Feds and the voters.

It must be some satisfaction to him, I hope, seeing as how the Ryan media machine drowned him out at the time. :)