Guide Note
Former Illinois Governor George Ryan was convicted in April of 2006 for racketeering during his time as a public official. Ryan appealed, claiming a flaw in jury deliberations, but on August 21, 2007, a federal appeals court rejected his request for a new trial.
Fast Facts
- 2-1 appellate panel decision
- Convicted of racketeering conspiracy, fraud
- Sentenced to 6 1/2 months in prison
- Stripped of $197,000 annual pension1
George Ryan Facts
- Full name: George Homer Ryan
- Born on February 24, 1934
- Birthplace: Maquoeta, Iowa
- Attended Ferris State University
- Party: Republican
- Spouse: Lura Lynn Ryan
- Children: 5 daughter
- Illinois Secretary of State from 1991 to 1999
- Owned a successful chain of pharmacies
- Convicted of racketeering conspiracy and fraud in 2006
- Federal case prosecuted by Patrick Fitzgerald
Seeking Commutation
Ryan's lawyer Jim Thompson has said that he will request a commutation of Ryan's sentence from President George W. Bush. Thompson believes that the loss of title, pension and time served is sufficient punishment for a man who would be almost 80-years-old by the time he'd served his full sentence. Meanwhile, Ryan's former prosecutors maintain that easing the disgraced governors punishment will send the wrong message to the victims of government corruption.2
