George Homer Ryan (born February 24, 1934) is an American former politician who served as the 39th governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. He served as Secretary of State of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and as lieutenant governor under governor James Thompson from 1983 to 1991. He is a member of the Republican Party. Elected in 1998, Ryan received national attention for his 1999 moratorium on executions in Illinois and for commuting more than 160 death sentences to life sentences in 2003. He chose not to run for reelection in 2002 in the wake of a scandal. He was later convicted of federal corruption charges and spent more than five years in federal prison and seven months of home confinement. He was released from federal prison on July 3, 2013. From Wikipedia
