Thursday, December 18, 2003
A Lay-a-Way Plan for Politicians
From the Chicago Tribune:0 comments
Former Gov. George Ryan (R-IL) indicted
Here's a taste:
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was charged today in a federal racketeering indictment with conspiracy and fraud while he was governor and secretary of state.
Ryan allegedly engaged in a pattern of corruption that included performing official government acts, awarding lucrative government contracts and leases and using the State of Illinois for his own benefit, members of his family, his campaign organization and certain associates, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.
And this:
The indictment alleges that for more than a decade Ryan let his friends wield great influence in state government and profit from his positions as secretary of state and later, governor. Ryan allowed some of his friends, who were not state employees, to steer state contracts in return for bribes and gave others insider information that they could profit from, while ignoring complaints of wrongdoing from employees and others.
In return, the indictment alleges, Ryan and his family received illegal cash payments, gifts, vacations and personal services from his friends and associates. The indictment did not list a dollar figure for Ryan but said members of his family got cash loans and gifts totaling $167,000.
The 91-page indictment charges that lobbyist Larry Warner, a close friend of Ryan's, collected cash from state vendors and landlords and funneled it to Ryan and another lobbyist. Warner already has been charged in the case and has pleaded not guilty.
The indictment also charges that Ryan himself directed payments totaling more than $300,000 to prominent lobbyist Donald Udstuen, who earlier pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
"It was cronyism, where contracts were given to people acting on inside information," U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said.
Hell, if they're gonna start sending people to jail for picky stuff like this, there won't be a Republican left in office anywhere. (Ohhhh, OK... And not all that many Democrats, either.)
posted by Gotham 3:04 AM
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