Governor Rod Blagojevich Democrat, has been making top headlines with his arrest on corruption charges including pay-for-play and allegedly attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. Blagojevich is not the first Illinois governor to land in legal hot water. Of the past eight Illinois governors, three of them were convicted and did time in federal prison for criminal activity. Illinois governors who have served time in prison include George Ryan, Daniel Walker and Otto Kerner, Jr.
George Homer Ryan
George Homer Ryan, Republican, was the governor of Illinois from 1999 and 2003. Sandal during his administration led to his retirement from politics in 2003. Ryan was charged for steering millions of dollars w orth of contracts to friends in exchange for payments and vacations. While he was still governor of Illinois he lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about his conduct and resumed his criminal activities. Charges of Federal corruption were brought an in 2006, leading to his conviction. Ryan entered federal prison in November, 2007, and is currently serving a six and a half year sentence.
Daniel Walker
Daniel Walker, Democrat, was the governor of Illinois from 1973 to 1977. After leaving office, Walker entered the private sector with Butler-Walker, Inc, which was a chain of oil change franchises which were later brought out by Jiffy Lube. Walker also entered the Savings and Loans business. He was convicted of improprieties in relation to First American Savings & Loan of Oak Brook in 1987. As the time media reports stated that the former governor received over a million dollars in fraudulent loans for his business and for repairs for his yacht, the Governor’s Lady. First American Savings and Loan was declared insolvent, with a $23 million deficit. Later the S&L was bailed out by the United States Federal Government.
Daniel Walker was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. The former Illinois governor served 18 months at a correctional facility in Duluth, Minnesota.
Otto Kerner, Jr
Otto Kerner, Jr., Democrat, was the governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968. Kerner was convicted of 17 counts of bribery, conspiracy, perjury and their charges in 1973. The bribery scandal came to light in 1969, when Marge Lindheimer Everett, then manager of Arlington Park and Washington Park race tracks confessed that she had bribed Kern while he was governor. Surprisingly, Everett as discovered when she had deducted the value of the stock used for bribes on her federal income tax return, reasoning that bribery was an ordinary and necessary business expense in the state.,
