Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who was involved in the state’s Commercial Drivers License sales scandals, was indicted Wednesday on corruption charges.
A federal grand jury handed up a 22-count indictment against Ryan and an associate charging racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud, tax fraud and making false statements.
The indictment caps a five-year investigation into allegations that, among other illegal actions, workers under Ryan -- while he was secretary of state -- sold CDLs for money that was then used in his campaign for Governor.
Among other charges, Ryan is alleged to have ended an internal investigation into the bogus CDL sales after subordinates learned that a truck driver with an illegally obtained license was involved in a fatal crash. He also is accused of lying to investigators about using money from the CDL sales for his campaign coffers.
Ryan's attorney, Dan Webb, said in a written statement: "I am confident he will be exonerated and a jury will find him not guilty of all charges. ... Governor Ryan has accumulated no personal wealth, and has a very modest lifestyle. He makes ends meet each month based on Social Security payments and a job pension. He has no meaningful holdings of stocks or bonds."
