From The Chicago Sun-Times:

Judges say Ryan blocked testimony

April 24, 2002

BY CURTIS LAWRENCE AND STEVE WARMBIR STAFF REPORTERS

Gov. Ryan, who has pledged to cooperate with an ongoing federal investigation into corruption, has repeatedly blocked his former chief attorney from testifying before a grand jury.

The revelation came in a federal appellate opinion released Tuesday that upholds a lower court ruling compelling the testimony of Roger Bickel.

Bickel, a law partner with Freeborn & Peters, served as chief legal counsel for George Ryan when he was secretary of state.

Earlier Tuesday, Ryan got more bad news in court when a federal judge said prosecutors had a "very strong" case as they try to remove the law firm representing Ryan's political campaign, Citizens for Ryan, because of alleged myriad conflicts of interest. Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer is expected to rule next month on the matter involving the firm of Altheimer & Gray.

Ryan's campaign and his former top aide, Scott Fawell, have been charged with using state workers to do campaign work on public time. Another top aide, Richard Juliano, pleaded guilty last week to one count of mail fraud and is cooperating with prosecutors. Ryan has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Late Tuesday, Ryan's spokesman, Dennis Culloton, said Ryan objected to Bickel testifying only as a matter of constitutional principle. Ryan asserted that forcing Bickel to testify would violate attorney-client privilege. But the appellate court found Bickel represented the secretary of state's office, not Ryan.

"We have taken a posture of cooperation over the past four years, and asserting a constitutional matter of principle is not inconsistent with that," Culloton said. "That's what makes America great."

Bickel's attorney, Corey Rubenstein, said Bickel "has no problem" now testifying before the grand jury. The attorney said Bickel provided "a substantial amount of information" in interviews with prosecutors that did not violate attorney-client privilege. Rubenstein said the government has told him that Bickel is not a target of the corruption investigation.