Chicago
A jury this week convicted former Illinois Gov. George Ryan of 18 felonies, including fraud, racketeering, and lying to investigators. Prosecutors said Ryan, 72, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts in exchange for steering state contracts to friends and associates. Some of the infractions took place when Ryan served as secretary of state in the 1990s, and some during his single four-year term as governor, starting in 1999. The verdict came after a six-month trial and five weeks of deliberations. “Today’s verdict proves that no one is above the law,” said Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Ryan’s successor. Ryan, a Republican, now faces up to 20 years in prison.
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