The previous Illinois Governor, George Ryan (R.) is currently serving 6.5 years in a Federal Prison for corruption. The deaths of 6 children of a Preacher, Reverend Willis and his wife are dead because of Illinois corruption. The Willis’s were on the highway when they ran over a broken taillight that came off an Illinois truck. The broken taillight punctured the gas tank of the minivan of the Willis family. Fire ripped through the van killing all six of their children and seriously injuring the Reverence Willis.
Upon investigation, it was found out that the driver of the truck that had the faulty taillight that fell off had gotten his Illinois Truck Driver License from a cash bribe at the DMV. This lead all the way to the Governor’s Office. George Ryan was the Illinois Secretary of State before he became Illinois Governor and the investigation found that bribes for licenses had been going on since the time Ryan was Illinois Secretary of State.
The trial of George Ryan found him guilty and he was sentenced to 6.5 years. During the trial, his sentencing and until this week, Ryan was defiant and unapologetic. At one point Rev. Willis approached former Gov Ryan and forgave him. Gov. Ryan told The Rev to get away from him.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin (D) has stepped in on behalf of convicted Ryan and has asked George Bush to pardon Ryan. This is unusual that a Dem would step in on behalf of a Republican. Durbin says that he met with Mrs. Ryan and she has been enduring financial hardship. The Illinois Legislature passed a bill that stopped all State pension money going to Ryan. He now has no income coming in.
Former Governor Jim Thompson (R.), you may remember him as one of the 911 Commission Members works for heavy hitting law firm Winston & Strawn. Gov. Thompson is petitioning the Bush Administration to pardon Ryan.
Let me make this clear to all of you how are not from Illinois, nobody in Illinois wants Ryan to be pardoned. A majority of Illinois citizens want Ryan to serve his time.
This week, just days after the Blagojevich arrest, after 18 months in prison, former Gov Ryan issued an apology read by Gov Jim Thompson. In this letter, Ryan apologizes to the Willis family and Illinois citizens. It is a blatant and obvious attempt to try to get out of prison. Most Republicans in Illinois do not want Ryan pardoned either.
Bush should pardon the two border agents and let Ryan serve his time. 6.5 years in prison is just a little over a years for each dead Willis child.
So in Illinois, we have one Governor possibly heading to prison, while another is trying to manipulate his release.
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