George Ryan Indicted

Former Gov. George Ryan has been charged with racketeering, mail fraud and tax charges. Click here for a copy of the indictment (407Kb pdf courtesy of the State Journal-Register).

ICPR issued this statement on December 17, 2003.
ICPR commends the Office of the U.S. Attorney for five years of vigilant investigation into the Licenses for Bribes scandal. What began with allegations of improper political fundraising by employees of the Secretary of State¹s Office has evolved into the most significant public corruption scandal in Illinois history. The indictment of former Gov. George Ryan shows that no one, no matter their position or status, is beyond the reach of law enforcement. We hope that the cumulative effect of the Operation Safe Road investigation, with its 67 indictments and 59 convictions to date, is two fold: to inspire elected officials to take continued steps to improve Illinois¹ political culture, and to reassure Illinois voters that state government is their government.

The recent ethics package, signed into law on December 9, addresses many of the issues raised by these indictments, and we applaud its enactment. However, reform is an on-going process, and there remains much to be done to transform business as usual. ICPR will redouble its efforts to ensure that Illinois laws, including its wide-open campaign finance system, its lobbyist registration system, and the new ethics mechanisms, are continuously improved.