April 17, 2006
LUCKILY HE SMOOTHED HIS WAY:
RYAN GUILTY (NATASHA KORECKI , 4/17/06, Chicago Sun-Times)
Former Gov. George Ryan was found guilty by a federal jury Monday of all 18 counts against him, ending a historic, marathon public corruption trial that started more than six months ago.The six-man, six-woman jury reached one of the most awaited verdicts in recent history after 10 days of deliberations and after U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer reconstituted the panel, swapping two dismissed jurors with alternates.
Ryan's codefendant, Lawrence Warner, 67, a lobbyist and businessman. was also found guilty on all counts against him. [...]
Ryan, 72, who served eight years as Illinois secretary of state and four years as governor, was accused of using his official position to steer state contracts to pals such as Warner. Ryan is also accused of lying to the FBI, misusing his campaign fund and filing false tax forms.
When he started currrying favor with death row inmates you knew he knew he was going to prison. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 17, 2006 3:22 PM
Odd. No mention of Mr. Ryan's political party affiliation?
Posted by: John Resnick at April 17, 2006 4:01 PMJohn:
Not really. I understand where you are coming from but unlike the NYT, WP et al the Sun-Times is a local Chicago tabloid and cannot be considered a national paper of record where the reader might not know who Ryan is/was.
OJ:
Yes, those poor children who were just as good as murdered by a driver who had no business in that truck deserve justice.
Posted by: Rick T. at April 17, 2006 6:41 PMHe's a member of IL's biggest party, which has co-opted all competition.
It's the corruption party, and it wins in November in any circumstance.
Ryan's trial is the result of one single act - the appointment of Patrick Fitzgerald at the behest of Peter Fitzgerald - an act that cost him "party" support.
This isn't a red or blue state, it's orange - as in prison garb.
Posted by: Bruno at April 17, 2006 6:42 PMJudy will clean it up.
Posted by: oj at April 17, 2006 8:07 PMIllinois must lead the Nation in ex-governors being sentenced to prison. Who, with the exception of Jim Thompson, hasn't ended up there in the past 50 years?
Posted by: Tom Wall at April 17, 2006 8:29 PMMr. Wall;
Yes, Illinois now broken its previous tie with Arizona (which has had 2 governors sent up the river) to lead the nation.
Mr. Judd;
No one here would be surprised if Topinka wins and becomes former gubernatorial inmate #4. She is not going to clean up anything because she doesn't think there is a problem, except for Ryan's conviction making her campaign more difficult.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at April 17, 2006 9:44 PMHis conviction helps clean things up.
Posted by: oj at April 17, 2006 9:47 PMJudy is as corrupt as Ryan. Her office has already been investigated, and the investigation has not been closed.
That said, her chances of winning are stronger than I had hoped. Dems might be interested in clearing the decks for Obama to "fix" the state in 2010 after Judy destroys what little is left here.
Of course, VP in a Hillary ticket may be a faster route to the WH for the Barak-star, but turning around a hopelessly broken state doesn't hurt.
Judy has a shot (unfortunately). The night she wins, 2-3 seats/chamber go Democrat, and in March 2007, she signs the biggest tax increase in Illinois history.
Republicans will get the blame while Democrats in the house & senate divvy the spoils and buy the votes.
Rove and his buddies at Carlyle get a fat consulting fee to drain Illinois' already faltering pension system.
Put it on the books OJ. There is nothing left to argue. Let's just watch the demolition of the remnants of what was a perfectly fine state.
Posted by: Bruno at April 18, 2006 12:38 PM