An Illinois appeals court has again denied a motion by former Governor George Ryan to overturn a set of convictions that became questionable after a Supreme Court ruling altered the foundation of one of the laws under which he was sentenced.
He won't be released or granted a new trial.
"George Ryan, as a public official, had a duty to provide honest services to the people of the state of Illinois who elected him," reads the opinoin by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook. " And the evidence in this case has shown that he repeatedly violated that duty.
“The benefits included free vacations, loans, gifts, campaign contributions, as well as lobbying money that Ryan assigned or directed to his buddies. In short, Ryan sold his office. He might as well have put up a ‘for sale’ sign on the office.”
Ryan wanted to be released from his six-and-a-half year prison term following a Supreme Court ruling on honest services that affected his case. The appellate court upheld the former governor's corruption convictions last July. But the Supreme Court didn't like how they arrived at their upheld conviction and asked them to try again.
Ryan's attorneys had argued the charges should be overturned because prosecutors never proved he took a bribe.
