Ryan may face charges as soon as Wednesday

The Illinois Leader ^ | Tuesday, December 16, 2003 | Leader Staff- Chicago Bureau

[railsplitter]

CHICAGO -- Former Governor George Ryan may face charges of extortion, racketeering, and obstruction of justice as soon as Wednesday.

[railsplitter]

"Official A" as Ryan may have been referred to in the indictments of Scott Fawell, Andrea Prokos and 58 others, in the U.S. Attorney's investigation "Operation Safe Roads," could face federal corruption charges this week.

[lormand]

Isn't he the scumbag who let all the Death Row inmates off the hook?

If so, then this piece of liberal garbage should spend time with the same murderers he let off.

[railsplitter]

Chicago radio station WLS is reporting an indictment is expected as soon as today. Dan Webb, former federal prosecutor, hired to defend George Ryan, said he expects an indictment.

[reagan_fanatic]

Couldn't come too soon for this career criminal.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Maybe the prosecutor can cut him a deal if he has dirt on Daley.

Ryan is just a gofer.

Better to get the top scumbag.

[TommyDale]

Racketeering? In Illinois? I'm Shocked!!

[jerod]

That's why he was being so nice to the inmates. He's going to be one soon.

[Tacis]

A corrupt Illinos politician would usually get off the hook, someway. Sure, maybe a little jail time and removal from office but, they've stolen enough to live very confortably and such exploits are highly admired in Chicago and downstate. Dan Rostenkowski may be a good example.

But, most of those crooks are dems. Ryan is a Republican and there is nothing that crooked dems hate worse than a crooked Republican. They will throw the book at Ryan!

[railsplitter]

He commuted all death row sentences to life in prison. He has become the poster child for death penalty reform, in an attempt to reform his own image/reputation, IMHO. Nominated for the Nobel peace prize because of this.

One of the most despised men in Illinois, period.

He closed a mental health facility after hundreds upon hundreds of state personnel conducted an exhaustive investigation. 3 residents died while in the care of local staff, prompting the investigation.

To begin with, they were very vulnerable mentally and physically, so it was no surprise when 3 residents died while previously in the care of the local staff. However, one of the deaths was ruled preventable as the resident consumed a staff workers prescription medication, resulting in an overdose and death.

Additionally, the former governor was sued by an Il. state senator, Larry Bomke, the resident's parents, and the local union representing the mental health workers, in an effort to keep the facility open. This enraged George Ryan and he put the hammer down on this facility, bringing about it's closure and causing the relocation of all of it's residents. 27 of those residents died after being moved to other state facilities.

This facility was 5th out of 9 state run facilities in regards to the number of reports of abuse by staff upon residents, yet it was the one closed.

Hundreds of people were put out of work, due to the closure of this facility, at the time, the single largest employer in Lincoln, Il.

George Ryan ruled with an iron fist and he is a quasi dictator, squashing anyone that gets in his way or dares to challenge him. A direct challenge to his authority is what he interpreted when the local mental health facility attempted to stay open by challenging him in a court of law.

George Ryan and his ilk/cronies have brought the Republican party of Illinois to a new low.

Indict ! Convict ! Incarcerate !

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

All along I had my suspicions about George Ryan. He was too much of a Chicago-style crony politician. He's getting what's coming to him and not a moment too soon, in my book.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

From the Chicago Sun-Times

BY MICHAEL SNEED SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Sneed hears former Gov. George Ryan will be indicted today by a federal grand jury.

The indictment caps a six-year federal probe, which has resulted in the indictment of a close friend and the recent conviction of former top aide Scott Fawell, who is now in prison on corruption charges.

However, although there has been speculation that Ryan might be involved in plea bargaining . . . Sneed is told there is nothing further from the truth.

Reliable sources tell Sneed that powerhouse attorney Dan K. Webb, a former U.S. attorney, plans to mount a very aggressive defense, and there will be no plea discussions.

Expect arguments to be made at trial that Ryan's case does not exemplify the financial picture of a man engaged in corruption.

Sneed hears Ryan has virtually no assets and is living month to month off his pension benefits.

[IncPen]

Ahem...

I meant to FRmail you this morning. I heard Andy Shaw's piece last night.

Interesting.

Almost as if someone had predicted it.

[railsplitter]

To the credit of U S Senator Peter Fitzgerald, R-Il., U S Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald was selected as Illinois's newest U S Attorney. Senator Fitzgerald took a lot of heat from his own party for going outside of Illinois to recruit this fine prosecutor. On top of that, the prosecutor was a registered Democrat, which further enraged the RINO's of Illinois.

Another recent appointment by Senator Fitzgerald to the position of U S Attorney, (state of Illinois) resulted in a fine prosecutor by the name of Tenpas being brought in to root out corruption. U S Attorney Fitzgerald recommended Tenpas to Senator Fitzgerald, conincidentally, and much to the chagrin of the RINO's of Illinois, Tenpas is a registered Democrat too.

I am satisfied with Senator Fitzgerald's selections, as they are directly responsible for the rooting out of corruption in Illinois.

Let's hope that the current trail leads these fine prosecutors on to a path of rooting out corruption wherever it exists in Illinois politics.

[BlackElk]

Since Lyin' George Ryan cannot be executed,, we Illinois taxpayers should be more than delighted to pay his meager room and board for the rest of his miserable life.

May he be the end of the corrupt RINO control of the Illinois GOP.

May Judy Baar Topinka (the RINO state party Chairwoman) be indicted and jailed as well.

US Senator Peter Fitzgerald or State Senator Patrick O'Malley for Governor in 2006. Immediate purge of the State GOP Committee. Jack (no relation) Ryan for US Senate.

Cleaning out the Illinois Death Row was Lyin'George Ryan's first campaign effort for his soon to be new constituency of fellow prisoners.

Lyin' George never made a promise he did not massacre. In his last campaign for governor in 1998, he drew a conservative Democratic Congressman Glenn Poshard as his opponent. Since Poshard was pro-gun, pro-life, pro-family, anti-crime and anti-tax, Lyin' Georgie promised to be even more pro-gun, pro-life, pro-family, ani-crime and anti-tax.

Safely elected by a sliver, Lyin' Georgie ptroceeded to govern pro-death for infants instead of criminals, pro-gay rights, anti-gun, pro-tax hikes, to clear Death Row because Georgie had suddenly found himself in need of a Nobel Peace...errrr, untroubled conscience, and to be Illinois leading elected criminal which is a stunning achievement.

Two of those whom Georgie took off Death Row were a "man" and a "woman" who slaughtered a woman in the last week or so of pregnancy to cut out her child and use the child to obtain Illinois welfare benefits. Saddam Hussein would be incapable of dreaming up appropriate punishment for Lyin' George Ryan.

When the indictments fall, Christmas comes early this year.

[FirstPrinciple]

Expect arguments to be made at trial that Ryan's case does not exemplify the financial picture of a man engaged in corruption.

Stupid argument. George Ryan was engaged in corruption so he could get elected. He did get elected and then got caught. He got caught before he could use his position to make money. He was banking on the fact that he wouldn't get caught, and after he retires he will land a cushy job as a consultant which will bring in the dough then. My question to all IL Republicans is why did they vote for this corrupt man over a conservative Democrat. Also, why did they vote for his protegee Jim Ryan, who got rocked by Blagojevich.

[PJ-Comix]

Oh, I thought this was the Ryan from Trista & Ryan. He deserves to face charges for bringing shame on all manhood by crying tears over the fact that there were (SHOCK!) strippers at his Bachelor Party and then running away like a whimpering baby. Well, I guess Ryan's punishment will be that he will be made fun of for the rest of his life. BTW, this incident proved that Ryan was definitely a Metrosexual.

[FirstPrinciple]

I say we bring back the death penalty in IL, and put George Ryan on death row.

[dfwgator]

They will throw the book at Ryan!

So be it.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

It's almost as if someone has been working on this for 5 years, and furiously digging for more dirt in the past week.

Now the question is...." What will Latonya do?"

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Let's hope that the current trail leads these fine prosecutors on to a path of rooting out corruption wherever it exists in Illinois politics.

That's the same thing I said, only you are much more polite and decorous about it. :^)