What was governor george ryan convicted of

Two days before leaving office in January , Illinois Gov. As a then-state representative in the Illinois House during the late s, Ryan supported the death penalty.

Soon after he took office in , journalism professors and students from Northwestern University exonerated Anthony Porter following a wrongful conviction for a double murder. Porter spent more than 15 years in prison before his innocence was proven. In September , he was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for steering millions in lucrative government contracts and leases to friends in exchange for bribes and vacations.

Video: Ryan talks about being convicted of 18 felony corruption charges and sentenced to six and a half years in prison. Sign up for our morning newsletter to get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday. View the discussion thread. Skip to main content. CNN Here is a look at the life of George Ryan, the former governor of Illinois who served time in prison after being convicted on racketeering, conspiracy and fraud charges.

Former Illinois Governor George Ryan speaks to the news media at the federal courthouse following a verdict of guilty on all counts in his corruption trial April 17, , in Chicago, Illinois. Birth date: February 24, Birth place: Maquoketa, Iowa. Birth name: George Homer Ryan. Read More. Father: Thomas Ryan, pharmacist. Mother: Jeannette Ryan. Marriage: Lura Lynn Lowe June 27, , her death. Education: Ferris State College, B.

Military service: Army, Religion: Methodist. Other Facts. Worked as a pharmacist in his family's business. The men and four women whose sentences Ryan commuted were convicted of killing more than people. November 3, - Is elected governor of Illinois. January 11, - Takes office as governor. It is the first visit to Cuba by a sitting US governor since Castro took power in January 31, - Calls for a moratorium on executions, "until I can be sure that everyone sentenced to death in Illinois is truly guilty.

August 8, - Rules out running for reelection because of a scandal over bribery. October - Orders the Illinois Prisoner Review Board to hold two weeks of clemency hearings for almost all of the death row inmates.