From the Associated Press 
 
Ryan's ex-right-hand man insists he's not biased 
 
By Mike Robinson 
Associated Press Writer 
Published October 24, 2005, 2:37 PM CDT 
 
 In a flare-up on the witness stand, George Ryan's right-hand man said Monday that he has given truthful testimony at the former governor's trial and has not taken sides with either federal prosecutors or defense attorneys. 
 
 "I'm not in the tank with anybody," Scott Fawell said, his voice rising sharply, under cross-examination by an attorney for Ryan's co-defendant, lobbyist Larry Warner. 
 
 The clash came after attorney Marvin Bloom asked Fawell about the deal he made with the government to testify as a prosecution witness at Ryan's trial on racketeering and mail fraud charges. 
 
 Bloom got Fawell to tell how the government has offered to recommend a break for his fiancee, Andrea Coutretsis, when she is sentenced in a bid-rigging case. 
 
 "That's why I'm here," said Fawell, who is already serving his own 61/2-year sentence on racketeering charges and faces potentially more time in the bid-rigging case. He acknowledged that under the deal he would get no more time in prison and his sentence might even be reduced. 
 
 Bloom said he was trying to get at the truth of Fawell's testimony. 
 
 "No, you're trying to say I'm in the tank with the government," Fawell said sharply. 
 
 Fawell said federal prosecutors "aren't overly thrilled" with what he has said on the witness stand and neither is the defense because "the truth sometimes does land in the middle." 
 
 The exchange came at the end of the morning session and after the jury left the room. Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer told attorneys that she believed that Fawell was "right on target" when he said he was not skewing his testimony to help either side. 
 
 "I don't think he is in anybody's pocket," she said. 
 
 Prosecutors said last week that they were disappointed in Fawell, their leadoff witness at the biggest political corruption trial in Illinois in decades. He said, among other things, that Ryan sometimes ignored politics in making decisions because he wanted to do the right thing. 
 
 He said that when Ryan was secretary of state in 1995 the inspector general's office was dismantled as a way of saving money for the taxpayers and to create accountability. 
 
 Prosecutors say Fawell urged the move to cover up corruption. 
 
 Warner is Ryan's longtime best friend. Ryan is accused of steering contracts and leases to Warner and his clients while the lobbyist provided Ryan with benefits ranging from paying for the band at his daughter's wedding to loans for his brother's ailing business. 
 
 Earlier Monday, Bloom got Fawell to testify that Warner didn't protest when Ryan's decisions went against him and the clients that he lobbied for. He also admitted that he often got lobbyists such as his best friend Al Ronan to pay his golfing fees — but Warner never did. 
 
 Bloom sought to counteract Fawell's testimony on direct examination that Warner's name took up seven pages in a list of favors that Ryan did for people with clout. 
 
 Under questioning by Bloom, Fawell testified that those on the list included Catholic Charities, people who work in the news media and Democrats — even though Ryan is a Republican. 
 
 "There's nothing improper about being on the master list, is there?" Bloom asked. 
 
 "No," Fawell said.