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CHICAGO — Former Gov. George Ryan was convicted of corruption Monday in the scandal that ended his political career in 2003 at the same time he was winning international acclaim for commuting the sentences of everyone on Illinois’ death row.

Ryan, 72, sat stone-faced as the verdict was read, and vowed afterward to appeal.

He was convicted of steering state contracts and leases, including a $25 million IBM computer deal, to political insiders while he was Illinois secretary of state in the 1990s and then governor for one term. In return, he got vacations in Jamaica, Cancun and Palm Springs, and gifts ranging from a golf bag to $145,000 in loans to his brother’s floundering business.

"I believe this decision today is not in accordance with the kind of public service that I provided to the people of Illinois over 40 years, and needless to say I am disappointed in the outcome,” the Republican former governor said.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called Ryan’s actions "a low watermark of public service.” Fitzgerald, who also led the Washington investigation of the CIA leak, added: "If they keep stealing, we’ll keep chasing them.”

The jury in the state’s biggest corruption trial in decades found Ryan guilty on all counts, including fraud, lying to the FBI and racketeering conspiracy, which alone could bring 20 years in prison at sentencing Aug. 4.

His co-defendant, Chicago businessman Larry Warner, 67, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, fraud, attempted extortion, and money laundering.

Briefly ...
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