Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan dies at 91

CHICAGO - George Ryan, the 39th governor of Illinois and a figure known both for scandal and for halting executions, died Friday following a brief stay in hospice care, according to former Illinois House Representative Jim Durkin. Ryan, a Republican who served as governor from 1999 to 2003, was 91.

What we know:

Ryan is remembered for a complicated legacy—one that includes a federal corruption conviction and a history-making decision to halt executions in Illinois.

He was convicted on 18 counts of corruption in 2007, tied to his time as Illinois secretary of state and governor. The charges stemmed from the FBI’s wide-ranging Operation Safe Roads investigation, which uncovered a bribery scheme in which commercial driver’s licenses were issued in exchange for payoffs. The case drew national attention after an unqualified truck driver involved in the scandal caused a crash that killed six children and injured their parents, Scott and Janet Willis.

Ryan later served more than five years in federal prison and was released in 2013.

The backstory:

Ryan’s corruption case centered around his tenure as secretary of state, where he was found to have led an office that routinely accepted bribes for licenses and permits. As governor, prosecutors said he continued steering state business to friends in return for gifts and vacations and tried to shut down internal investigations.

Despite the scandal, Ryan is perhaps best known for his decision in 2003 to impose a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, citing flaws in the justice system and the risk of executing innocent people. In his final days in office, he commuted the sentences of all 167 people on death row.

"I could not take the risk that the system would execute someone who was innocent," Ryan later said.

In one of his last public appearances, Ryan spoke Friday at a recidivism luncheon in Waukegan, calling for legislation that would remove the "felon" label from individuals once they have served their time. He reflected on his experience in federal prison and said the label can unfairly prevent people from moving forward in life.

"They’ve served their time, and that tag ought to be removed for the rest of their lives by law," Ryan told the crowd at the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism’s annual luncheon. "I’m sure they don’t want to go back."

He praised the group’s work and noted the rarity of his public appearance, saying, "It’s the first time I’ve really been out in public in a long time."

Dig deeper:

Ryan’s trajectory took him from being a Kankakee pharmacist to a state legislator, to secretary of state to governor. His long political life is defined by consequential decisions but marred by one of the highest-profile corruption convictions in Illinois history. He died Friday morning at his home in Kankakee – he was 91 years old.

"His whole family was with him, he was surrounded by his daughters and his son and daughter-in-law and all that love, and then he went," said Andrea Lyon, his longtime friend and former criminal defense attorney.

Lyon says she remembers Ryan as a warm-hearted person who she says once literally gave a homeless veteran the coat off of his back in the dead of winter.

"He just had boundless kindness for everyone – whether they were important or not," Lyon said.

Former Republican State Representative Jim Durkin remembers a consummate deal maker who was able to work across the aisle to get legislation passed.

"He liked to cut deals but the fact is he made sure it was right for Illinoisans," Durkin said.

Ryan made national headlines when he announced a moratorium on the death penalty. Once a staunch proponent, he later commuted 167 inmates on death row for fear of putting an innocent person to death.

"At that point, we had exonerated 13 people and executed 12. He said, 'I used to be a pharmacist, if I was getting the wrong pill to someone 50%, I wouldn't have a license' — how can this go on?" Lyon said.

But in 2007, Ryan was convicted on 18 counts of corruption as part of the federal Operation Safe Road investigation — found to have run a license-for-bribes program during his time as secretary of state. The investigation kicked off after the gruesome 1994 death of the six Willis children, when the van their parents drove was struck by a piece of metal that fell from a truck on the highway, later found to be driven by someone who had gotten his trucker’s license via a bribe. Ryan served six years in prison.

Ryan always maintained his innocence, and denied that he was in any way responsible for the children’s deaths. Durkin says his legacy should not be defined by his conviction.

"George made a mistake but the fact is, he did his time, he didn’t complain when he got out, and he went on with his life," Durkin said.

And his former chief of staff, Scott Fawell, who was also ensnared in the investigation, today remembered Ryan as a 'mentor,' a great leader and a good and compassionate man.

What we don't know:

The cause of Ryan’s death has not been disclosed. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.