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Question of the day

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* First, the setup, from a guest column in the SJ-R…

President Bush should pardon Ryan not because he is innocent, but because he became ensnared in the same archaic “cigar smoke” politics that pervaded the first 200 years of our nation’s history. And Judge Michael Kanne of the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld his conviction wrote in his Aug. 21 opinion that, “The basis for my dissent lies not in the exceedingly drawn out evidentiary phase of this trial, but in the dysfunctional jury deliberations,” suggesting that he is as concerned about justice being served as the underlying evidence.

Kanne said, “My colleagues in the majority concede that the trial of this case may not have been picture perfect — a whopping understatement by any measure.” Have we been too hasty to imprison a former governor whose day in court was as corrupt as he is? Perhaps we should take a more crucial look at Kanne’s dissent. How would we feel if a jury deciding our fate consisted of people who were not sequestered from the media, where the public’s outcry of “Hang the bum!” appeared on every television screen and newspaper?

Would we not demand a mistrial if jurors were under investigation for lying to the court, hiring their own lawyers to keep from being prosecuted, and who were granted immunity by the U.S. attorney to prevent the case from being thrown out altogether? How in the name of jurisprudence can we ignore a situation where a juror took information into the jury room that they found on the Internet to use against a defendant that was not part of the trial testimony?

Some people believe that Ryan’s prosecution was little more than a vindictive reprisal by the U.S. government and Illinois officials for his January 2003 executive clemency order that spared the lives of 167 death row inmates just before he left office. While this may be a stretch, it is something to consider when weighing the principles of criminal law against the application of its intent.

Given the bizarre culture of Illinois politics, the improprieties that plagued Ryan’s trial, his advancing age and unlikelihood for recidivism, a presidential pardon would be in the interest of the federal justice system and the people of Illinois.

* Question: Do you agree that President Bush ought to pardon George Ryan? Why or why not?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 9:54 am

Comments

NO!
President Bush avoided Illinois like the plague back when George Ryan was governor of Illinois.

Comment by Reminder Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:00 am
Yes, pardon him…get it over with…and get on with life!

Comment by Siyotanka Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:00 am
Does he need to?

Ryan isn’t exactly racking up time in the prison shower these days.

Ryan has received a fiat pardon by virtue of the legal system and his political connection. What does any politician have to gain by expending political capital (and having to endure the ensuing blowback by those clamoring for ‘justice’) by calling attention to the situation?

Ryan is beating the rap just fine on his own.

Comment by Leroy Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:03 am
No pardon, commute his sentence like he did Scooter’s. Ryan is one of the few Republicans I like. He needs to be held accountable, however spending the rest of his life in prison may not be the answer. This may be unpopular on CapFax but I do have a lot of respect for what he did as it relates to drawing attention to the problems on death row.

Pardoning him would not be good because I do believe he needs to be held accountable. Commuting his sentence with some sort of fine would be the right thing to do.

Comment by wndycty Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:04 am
Wndycty…I would change my view from earlier post…and agree with you to commute and not pardon.

Comment by Siyotanka Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:08 am
I would commute his sentence, but not pardaon him. A pardon would restore his very expensive pension. I think the loss of is 10k a month pension is sufficent penalty for his corrupt acts. Given his age, weighing his bad conduct against the good etc. The loss of his pension and the finding of guilt are sufficent, there is no need for jail time.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:08 am
No. However, I do think Ryan did not receive a fair trial. A commutation or reduction of his sentence may be appropriate.

Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:08 am
If there was an error in the trial, he should be retried. So far, the courts have not ruled so.

There should be absolutely no linkage between Ryan’s Death Row pardons to the outcome of his corruption case. Remember, the flip side of his possibly commuting the sentences of a few innocent inmates is the grueling hearing process that several hundred murder victims’ families were forced to endure (again!) at Ryan’s behest, and the eventual removal from Death Row of some particularly heinous convicted criminals. Remember the case where a young mother was murdered when her baby was ripped from her womb by a few unsavory characters? And the “cattle car” approach to those hearings, where a very cavalier, “let’s get this over with” attitude seemed to be present in running the cases through. I’m all for preserving the rights of the innocent, but victims and their families have rights, too, and deserve at least a little decency which was sorely lacking at Ryan’s hearings.

As Ryan has yet to serve a day for whatever misdeeds he did or didn’t do, I find it difficult to work up a whole lot of sympathy for him. Surely there are better candidates for a pardon, if Dubya is looking for one.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:11 am
However with the Scooter commutation Bush may have used his one high profile get out of jail free card. If I’m correct, Ryan did serve as Bush’s chairman in 2000 and it would be spun as political payback. Ryan might have a better shot at either commutation or a pardon if he were not viewed as a Bush ally.

Comment by wndycty Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:13 am
“I would commute his sentence, but not pardaon him. A pardon would restore his very expensive pension. I think the loss of is 10k a month pension is sufficent penalty for his corrupt acts. Given his age, weighing his bad conduct against the good etc. The loss of his pension and the finding of guilt are sufficent, there is no need for jail time.”

He loses his pension no matter what. A pardon does nothing to give him his pension back. I researched this issue previously when I represented a formal public official who was pardoned. No dice.

Comment by paddyrollingstone Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:14 am
I don’t know about pardon. But the behavior for which he was convicted should not be rewarded. Until reading the comments here I didn’t know that commutation doesn’t restore that pension Ryan’s been wanting while a pardon does. Also there are people who still don’t understand what Ryan did wrong. Those people are probably likely to support a pardon.

Comment by Levois Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:15 am
And how do we improve the culture of corruption by pardoning Ryan? Wouldn’t a clean up be better served by showing some real punishment for crimes?

absolutely no linkage between Ryan’s Death Row pardons to the outcome of his corruption case.

Please. It seems painfully obvious that Ryan’s interest in that correlates VERY well with the Fed’s interest in Ryan.

Comment by Pat collins Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:16 am
That piece is absurd and disgraceful. Ryan’s lawyers already tried the “Illinois politics has always been scummy” argument. It was heard by a jury of Ryan’s peers and resoundingly rejected.

It would be like the accused in the recent Family Secrets trial whining, “Oh come on, the Chicago Outfit has always been mobbed-up. It’s members have always done questionable things.”

The person who wrote that guest column should go talk to what’s left of the Willis family.

Comment by GOP'er Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:19 am
Was paying for a vacation and then getting reimbursed in cash part of 200 years of “cigar smoke”? Helps us all if we really want honest politicians. George Ryan is guilty and he should be held accountable so the next politician convicted cannot act surprised.

Comment by jeff Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:19 am
===Was paying for a vacation and then getting reimbursed in cash ===

We’re talking $200 here.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:21 am
Yes, commute his sentence. We have all suffered enough thru all of this. I agree, get on with life. They have been shamed enough.
I would have one condition. He must apologize to the Willis family and he must do community service.

Comment by Lula May Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:24 am
only 200

In WWII, a black market ring was caught. The enlisted men were allowed to avoid jail time by going to a front line combat unit.

Officers were not, since they were considered more responsible.

The idea was that the higher the leader, the more that was expected. Not the less.

And, if Ryan is such a leader in various areas, why couldn’t he lead in cleaning up corruption as well?

Comment by Pat collins Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:26 am
Absolutely not…he was part and parcel to overt, systemic corruption and ethics violations as Secretary of State that endangered evryone on IL roads…pardoning him would send a terrible message and further hurt the Willis family…

Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:29 am
This is arguable two ways. Right now I’m leaning towards commuting the prison sentence. Governor Ryan has lost his lucrative state pension, and the economic penalty of that is far worse than spending time at Club Fed.

Comment by What price justice? Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:30 am
What price justice? - Historically, Ryan has shown he can get by just fine without having any income.

So I doubt if losing his pension is any real penalty.

Comment by Leroy Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:36 am
Yes. He should. George Ryan was railroaded.
Were there people selling licenses for bribes at facilities while he was SOS? Yes. Many of these people were convicted, did time, and should have.

Although, their OWN Secretary of State Merit Commission hearing officers would regularly not approve the charges against them for termination brought by the Attorney General. What was that all about?

Were they instructed to do so? No. These workers just did these things because they were dirtbags, and it was easy money. At the time, there were allegations that out-of-state truck driving schools were in on it too. That doesn’t make it right, actually makes it worse, but the FBI kept trying to infiltrate and kept getting thwarted for years. Maybe their windbreakers tipped people off…

Some of the “bribe money ended up in Ryan’s campaign fund.” So now all of a sudden it’s RICO.

Some of the bribe money ended up at Marshall Field’s and Jewel too.

This does not make it right by any means.
But there is a lack of personal invovement on the part of Mr. Ryan himself (as is often the case with government)that should preclude trumped-up criminal charges on the day-to-day crimiinal events of underlings that he had essentially no contact with.

One questionable move I will concede was his personal involvement in the Inspector General investigation. (Although, I am not sure he legally was required to even have one at the time.)

Pallmeyer was horrible with that trial. First, not severing Ryan’s charges from Warner’s, and downhill from there.

If jurors were found to bring their own case law in the jury room, in any other case, there would be a mistrial in two seconds, let alone the serious allegations of juror intimidation.

Even the jurors, interviewed after the verdicts, said there was “no one thing” they could convict him on. Merely the “totalitarity.” Maybe they did not like the way he looked (Central Casting old-time politician) either.

The irony is that I despise his machinations regarding death row. But as governor, he had the absolute authority to do what he did. (cf. Eric Zorn’s excellent article regarding if Gale Sayers made a questionable move to get his things back vis-a-vis, O.J.)

(Also, on an ethereal point, if a CDL was denied to a non-English speaker, would that be a civil rights violation in and of itself?)

Tragic consequences occurred due to the malfeasance of SOS staff. No question. Those people have been and should have been held accountable.

Will people hold G-Rod accountable for the IDNR staff caught watering marijuana plants?

That answer is no.

Comment by Kankakee Kanker Sore Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:36 am
Deserves a pardon more than Mark Rich or Scooter Libby did. I say yes, but it won’t happen.

Too bad he backed Phil Gramm, seriously.

Comment by Napoleon has left the building Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:38 am
He should absolutely not be pardoned or commuted.

Yes, there was corruption in Illinois long before Ryan. But while most of the country was becoming more ethical, Ryan was holding Illinois back and even making Illinois politics less ethical. He fostered a culture that led to massive bribe taking at the SOS which ultimately led to unsafe drivers on the road and the Willis family tragedy. He put a crony in as head of the SOS IG’s office in order to obstruct justice. And where did all of his cash come from? He had some of the best lawyers in the country and he was still found guilty. The trial may not have been perfect but it was more than fair.

To let him off sends a strong signal that Illinois is corrupt and will stay corrupt.

I also don’t see it happening. There is no reason for Bush to do it.

Comment by Objective Dem Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:38 am
No pardon or commutation.

He was convicted of 12 felony counts. If it were only free vacations and $200 payments then this would not have happened.

Illinois will be feeling the effects of his criminal activities for years. However mismanagement was not the crimes he was accused and convicted of.

As far as micro-analizing the fairness of his trial, I believe that each and every trial has its own flaws. If we were to use these flaws as a reason not to incarcerate Mr. Ryan, we would perpetuate the unfairness of thousands of people currently in prison more minor offenses. I further believe it can be argued that Mr. Ryan is currently benefitting from his former stature by being allowed to spend his appeals time outside of jail..

I daresay that If I or anyone else I know would have been charged with these offenses, we would not have been defended gratis to a top flight law firm and after conviction we would have been sentenced promptly and beun our sentence while the appeals were being fought out.

Comment by plutocrat03 Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:40 am
Commute it. I think Fawell was the man behind all this. George’s biggest problem was letting him get away with it, and not stopping it.

Comment by He makes Ryan Look like a Saint Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:47 am
I am totally against Ryan getting a pardon from the president. Regardless of what he’s done, he needs to pay the consequences for his actions. My father committed a crime when he was 18. He and some friends broke into a house. Since my father was in the military and there was a weapon found in the vehicle, his charges were bumped up to felony status, even though the weapon was never used. He spent six months in prison. Since that time 40 years ago, he hasn’t even had so much as a traffic ticket. He has been a model citizen. I put together a clemency petition to get this one black mark on his record removed, the prisoner review board lost it twice, and now it’s sitting on the governor’s desk, where it will be for the next decade because Blago isn’t doing anything with them. Why should Ryan get a pardon, just because he’s a former governor, when there are deserving people out there who have been waiting for years to get one??? Pardons should go to those who have paid their debt and have gone on to lead upstanding, productive lives…not just so he can avoid jail time and get his precious pension back!

Comment by Miranda Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:47 am
Paddyrollingstone, interesting, do you by any chance have the case site on that? I am curious if they make a distinction between a pardon and a pardon based upon actual innocence.

If he does not get his pension back no matter what, then pardon or commutation is fine with me. The penalty of losing roughly 120k a year, plus the States built in 1.5% COLA, for however long he lives, I think is more then a sufficient penalty.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:48 am
Pardoning this guy-let’s show how concerned we are about Illinois corruption and put him in a position like maybe inspector general then O.J. as Director of Human Services-little wonder why there’s no faith in our government-no accountability-theft and deception as usual and some press approve of it-after all-what would they report on in Illinois if it was run with citizens in mind-so George go ahead and give the poor convict a break- you can’t get any less popular and it’ll only stengthen the disgust for the law ,politicians,and government that permeates our society almost makes me want to vote Green-NAH-

Comment by gray wolf Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:49 am
I think the appropriate think to do is to commute Ryan’s death sentence to life in prison instead.

Comment by Don't Worry, Be Happy Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 10:49 am
The case I handled was like 7 or 8 years ago and my client had been pardoned by Governor Edgar. He then went to the Pension Board to try and get his pension but they refused based upon a Illinois Attorney General’s Opinion Letter. I don’t remember the specific cases and law cited but it was clear that the pardon does not erase the fact of conviction for Illinois public pension purposes. In the same case we tried the argument that he should get his pension for all his other jobs he had held but for the last one which he had when he was convicted but that went nowhere fast too.

Comment by paddyrollingstone Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:04 am
Oh, I agree President Bush will NOT do it. Lots of reasons.

Miranda, you are correct on the petitions. I don’t think Rod’s going to grant clemency to anybody.

Ryan looking like a saint: Fawell did commit some crimes, absolutely. You cannot bring a State copier to the campaign office, even after you pry the serial numbers off, which, I believe was alleged. Also, which, IMHO, is one of the hackiest moves ever.

The only difference is in a previous era, they would not have been felonies, or he may have not been charged or whatever. Kind of like Rosty with the stamps in D.C.

I guess they’ll always have Costa Rica.

Comment by Kankakee Kanker Sore Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:08 am
I do not you agree that President Bush ought to pardon George Ryan. Ryan should not receive special treatment.

Comment by Squideshi Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:11 am
No - One elected official should never pardon another elected official. We cannot expect voters to trust public officials if they use their elected powers to subvert our legal system to help one another.

No. If you wish to hold a public office, then you should be prepared to be held accountable for your actions and their consequences.

We should not be showing mercy for any elected officials who abuse our trust.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:11 am
Pluto: With regard to “flaws”: The glaring errors committed by the judge every single day of that trial belie any suggestions of micro-analyzing. I have most likely personally tried more federal trials (and litigated more federal cases) than probably anyone on this site and can tell you from experience that if it were any other trial, even with Judge Pallmeyer, it would have ended in a mistrial at any given point. Probably earlier rather than later.

Webb’s “cavalcade of errors” line was an understatement.

And, if it had gone the other way, Fitzgerald, Collins and the U.S. Attorney’s office would be raising even worse holy hell with regard to the jurors talking out of school to coffeeshop people, threatening minority-viewpoint jurors in violation of jury instructions and bringing in their own case law, in violations of jury instructions, which are, as you are well aware, orders of court.

Comment by Kankakee Kanker Sore Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:23 am
Lwt’s see Scooter lied about the war, got pardon, people die

George sold CDL, people died. I think the GOP template would have George free man ASAP.

Comment by Blaggo Biographer Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:29 am
First, President Bush should not pardon George Ryan. Republicans made such a stink after Clinton pardoned everyone and their siblings that Bush should either never pardon anyone other than Libby (which was a HUGE mistake, in my mind) or should do the same as did Clinton.

Second, I think Ryan should just be placed under house arrest. He has the money to pay someone for essential services, such as cooking, cleaning, groceries, car care, etc. It’s not like he’s a poor single mother who is confined to her house; he has ample resources with which he can take care of himself and his wife.

Thid, I don’t care how much Rasputin-like influence Mr. Fawell had on Ryan. Ryan is a big boy who was able to take care of himself and tell people “No!”. For Christ’s sake: he was the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of State and the Governer! I’m sure he had some control over his surroundings and affairs.

From my perspective, it’s offensive to see him doing book signings and/or going to a fundraiser or charity event AFTER he has been convicted AND lost an appeal. How many people convicted on as many counts as Ryan was convicted are allowed to not only be out of prison but also travel the state? Not many. It just shows the discrepency in the legal system.

The message that pardons and commutations send to the public is that politicians, lobbyists, consultants and well-connected persons don’t have to abide by the rules and, when they get caught, the chances of something bad happening is remote. Yes, Fawell was punished, as was Tristano and others. And the tide is somewhat changing, as can be seen by the jail sentences currently being served by people like Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff. But recent comments from people like Nancy Pelosi and Denny Hastert that Congressional offices should be off limits and the thought of a Presidential pardon for an ex-governor who was found guilty on multiple counts just goes to show you that absolute power corrupts absolutely and that some of these power mongers haev lost touch with the people they are elected and paid to represent.

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:36 am
Kankakee Kanker Sore,
I’m surprise at how easy it was to cover up that story. Oh well Democrat County and Democrat committeeman. Amazing.

Comment by Lula May Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:47 am
George Ryan is a broken man. His wife has suffered equally. Ryan is just another player in the decades of corruption in Illinois politics.
If only for leading this country in the direction of death penalty reform his sentence should be commuted.

He’s only one of how many Illinois governors that have gone to prison? Five, Six?

He was right when he said Illinois’ judicial system is broken. And so is our political system.

I wholeheartedly agree that it PO’d the feds and his Party when he commuted the 167 Death Rowers. He embarrassed our judicial system, but someone needed to do it!! For that alone he should get a ‘get out of jail’ for free card.

Comment by Illinois Prison Talk Administrator Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 11:52 am
Bush should let Ryan off. He is one of the boys!

Comment by Bill Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 12:08 pm
Kerner served time.

Walker served time for offenses unrelated to his Governorship.

Rostenkowski served time.

Ryan’s SOS Inspeector General served time for covering up crimes at SOS which is exactly what Ryan wanted him to do. This enabled Ryan to be elected Governor.

Fawell is serving his time for crimes committed on behalf of and at the behest of GR.

Ryan’s corruption was much worse than the offenses committed by Otto Kerner or Rostenkowski.

There is absolutely no legitimate reason to pardon Geroge Ryan. Regardless of the jury problems, George Ryan is obviously guilty. He had absolutely the best defense/attorneys that money could buy even though he didn’t have to pay. GR refused to plea bargain.

So many distinguished Illinois political predecessors served time for various felonious acts, I cna’t see any reason why GR should be any different than them.I would have no problem with a sentence communtation/reduction after he serves some time in prison.

I’ll leave it to the appeals court to determine whether the jury problems warrant a retrial for GR.

Comment by Captain America Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 12:52 pm
Poor Republicans.

Every time they think GR is finally out of sight, out of mind…he’s baaaack. Will this never end?

Comment by Cassandra Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 1:46 pm
Captain: Name one significant crime. The US Attorney’s office actually indicted him for some behavior that was not criminal in nature, and actually flies in the face of 400 years of English and American common law.

But they got a judge and jury to buy into it.

You have had some thoughtful posts here. What, exactly, are you trying to say?

The fact that you say he is “obviously guilty” is a specious, spurious, illusory and fraudulent argument. Obviously guilty of WHAT? Again, I’m not even sure they proved the elements of any crime, even the Inspector General stuff (as I do not know exactly what his duties were, if any, under the ILCS in those days. Things are different now.)

And, as I remember some of the testimony, Fawell was more involved with some of that stuff.
There was not a whit, not a shred of evidence that George H. Ryan personally sold any licenses for bribes or directed anyone to do so in his stead.

In fact, he was not even charged with THAT.

Innuendos such as that he “never used an ATM” carried the day.

A lot of folks from his generation have yet to use an ATM, and may never do so. I guess this is criminal now.

I dislike Rod, but God help us all if he is charged with flimsy garbage in the interest of a conviction because “people just don’t like him.”

Or, like Eddie V., charged with considering taking a commission on a private real estate transaction that never took place.

Kids died in a bad accident when something fell off a truck. George Ryan was Secretary of State at the time. What if it were Jim Edgar, Alan Dixon or Jesse White, much more popular politicians? Better believe that’s a good question.

In summation, you, (and others) like to glibly gloss over the “jury problems.” That is the entire bedrock of our legal system. That’s why we have extensive voir dire, instructions, evidential rules, and security for them.

They are the triers of fact. If there is improper jury behaviour, it follows that the trial is improper as a matter of law.

I agree with Mr. Justice Kanne’s dissent, not for admiration of Mr. Ryan (still very angry about some of his gubnatorial decisions and the way he ran many of his agencies) but for the country I thought I was living in.

Comment by Kankakee Kanker Sore Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 1:51 pm
I thought talk of a pardon was silly? Didn’t someone write that?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 2:20 pm
Yes, Bush should pardon George Ryan. Illinois Democrats need to be able to change the subject from Rod Blagojevich’s mismanagement of the state, and the pardon gives Democrats a great excuse to talk about Barack Obama.

George Ryan is the gift that keeps on giving.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 2:46 pm
yes, pardon him, but don’t give him his pension. Why should we pay for his upkeep.

Comment by farmerjo Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 3:01 pm
No, he should not be pardoned, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep if he were.

Comment by Fan of the Game Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 3:01 pm
Well, thanks to whoever this author is. I repeat GHR has not applied for a pardon.

Comment by Shelbyville Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 3:03 pm
Yes, I believe that President Bush should pardon ,fully & without prejudice , George Ryan, should the need arise or if he or his counsel applies for same. Mr. Ryan, in my opinion, is at heart a good & very decent man. He served his city, county & state for many years & did much good along the way. He helped many people, often without notice or fanfare. The trial, apparently viewed as flawed, did not conclusively prove that George Ryan was a the heart of these problems or serious crimes , but he un-fortunatly was where the “buck” stopped. It’s what the Fed’s do when they’re “displeased. Is he without “sin”….no he’s not , but diabolical or criminal….not hardly. One of his biggest problem was delegating without some immediate oversite that got him trouble, depending on those whom he thought he could trust & friends who let him down. People saw opportunity thinking they are pleasing their boss , while others just saw “opportunity”. At George’s age & health, what would it accomphlish ?? He’s lost his credibility, his good name, a good deal of his pension & his legacy will not be one {except by those who really know him} of much good, but linked to corruption & those who engaged it. I do hope that George will find peace in his heart & mind. I hope the remainder of his life will at home with his wife & family.

Comment by annon in illinois Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 4:06 pm
My understanding is Ryan’s children received money for work they never did. Ryan accepted cash in return for steering contracts to clients of Lawrence Warner. Ryan made unrealistic fundraising demands on state employees which led to bribe taking. When the bribery scandal was discovered, Ryan tried to cover it up.

Yes there may have been problems with the jury, but he is guilty and deserves prison time.

I recognize that he won’t do it again, but that is one of the worse excuses I have ever heard for not sending a retired corrupt politician to jail.

Comment by Objective Dem Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 4:40 pm
Kankakee Kanker Sore,

You question what would have happened if the Willis children would have died while Dixon, Edgar or White was SOS. First, as far as I know none of these SOS demanded so much fundrasing out of their staffs that bribery became the way to meet the demands. Second, I would hope that none of these men would have engaged in a cover-up like Ryan and his IG were convicted of doing.

It might be possible that Ryan was the victim of over-delegating if there were only one or two charges. But there was far too much of a pattern of corruption and personal enrichment by family, close friends, and campaign staff for him not to know.

Comment by Objective Dem Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 5:09 pm
Yes he should, but it is with hopes that there is another man who will serve justice prior to this matter getting to that point.

Timothy Parson-Heather is a smart intelligent and above all an excellent writer. He hit home with everything that I have been saying for the past years or so. To put it blatantly, to send George Ryan to jail with all that Timothy mentioned would be a miscarriage of Justice. Before President Bush has the opportunity to pardon Ryan, U.S Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald should concede to a mistrial; if his intent is to ensure that justice is served.

Comment by One_Mcmad Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 5:30 pm
Denial of an en banc appeal seems likely and imprisonment ahead. I don’t believe anyone in their right mind feels a death sentence is appropriate. Gov. Ryan’s sentence was the final chapter in a textbook example of the failure of the federal judicial system aided and applauded by an irresponsible news media. John McCarron in several Tribune columns was among the few writers to express sympathy for the lost lives in a freak accident but not to hold George Ryan personally responsible for the tragedy. Yes, the Sec. of State’s office was broken and some employees penny-grabbing chislers but is that a federal crime? Its belated condemnation and blindness to the presumption of innocence is a poor coverup by the Tribune of its endorsements of Ryan for public office and ridicule of his opponents. Today, years since the Ryan-Poshard race the paper is still trying to justify its editorial abuse of Poshard in his current role at South Illinois University.

Comment by Stormy Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 5:30 pm
Ryan is a personable, friendly guy- always shaking hands with us state workers at JRTC, for example- but he was up to his elbows in sleaze. He took money he knew he did not deserve and had not earned. Let him at least serve six months in the federal pen and then, perhaps, think of some clemency arrangement. But a pardon- never!

Comment by DuPage Dave Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 7:47 pm
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He and any elected official who hurt the system, cause a huge injustice to the electorate. The biggest crime is that people become apathetic and then don’t vote, and don’t participate in this democratic process. Apathy because of no power to correct the damage done, is rampant.

He needs to do THE TIME!!!!!

Comment by Downstate Dem Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 8:56 pm
Pardon George soon….it’s just time to do the right thing here. 10 plus years of this has been enough, a burden to him, to his family & to the state. I’m sure that jail time will not solve anything, reverse anything especially at this stage in the scheme of things & given the strange events of the trial. What if he’s given a new trial ?? Let it go folks.

Comment by annon Monday, Oct 1, 07 @ 9:41 pm
George Ryan is no worse than Mayor Daley or anyone else. Pardon the poor guy. Daley should be in jail before Ryan.

Comment by Jack D Tuesday, Oct 2, 07 @ 1:18 am