From the SJ-R

Bernard Schoenberg Column

Juliano update

RICH JULIANO, former deputy chief of staff to then-Gov. GEORGE RYAN, has a "wonderful job" in Washington, D.C., even while serving three months of home confinement that allows him to go back and forth to work, one of his lawyer says.

Juliano, who also was deputy campaign manager for Ryan, pleaded guilty to one federal count of mail fraud, admitting that he had schemed with campaign manager and chief of staff SCOTT FAWELL to use state money and employees in the former governor's campaigns. He was sentenced in October to pay a $10,000 fine, placed on four years' probation, ordered to perform community service and serve three months in work-release - which was later reduced to home confinement.

Juliano was praised by U.S. District Judge REBECCA PALLMEYER at the sentencing for telling the truth about corruption when Ryan was secretary of state for eight years. Juliano was the leadoff witness at trials of both Fawell and Ryan, each found guilty of corruption charges. Fawell is in prison and Ryan is appealing the conviction.

JIM MONTANA, a chief counsel to then-Gov. JIM EDGAR from 1993-95 and now with the Vedder Price law firm in Chicago, represents Juliano and said this week that Juliano is "very, very happy with the work he is doing." While not practicing law, he is with the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, a trade group. His "very responsible position of trust" includes coordinating activities of allied state associations with the national group, Montana said.

Juliano's Illinois law license was suspended on an interim basis in late 2002 - the year he pleaded guilty. He has voluntarily withdrawn his license in Washington, D.C., and Illinois. By allowing himself to be "disbarred on consent" last month in Illinois, he can reapply for the license within three years, said PETER ROTSKOFF, senior counsel with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. A lawyer must wait five years to reapply for a license if forced into disbarment, Rotskoff said.

Juliano applied to have the three-year period be retroactive, but the Illinois Supreme Court denied that motion on March 22. BILL HARTE, another Chicago lawyer representing Juliano, said he may try another legal maneuver to again seek credit for the time Juliano has been away from practicing law.

Juliano was the $131,000-a-year liaison between the Bush White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation until shortly before he was indicted.

"He cooperated fully with the government almost from the first moment that he came to see me, and the government was very impressed with his cooperation," Montana said of Juliano's legal troubles growing from his years with Ryan, who was elected governor in 1998, and Fawell. "At the time of sentencing, they had excellent things to say about his cooperation, his credibility and trustworthiness."

Montana also said Juliano is married and has "two wonderful children."

"His wife has been very supportive from day 1," Montana said.