Overview

• George Ryan, former Illinois governor, died Friday morning at age 91 after several days in hospice care, with no cause of death immediately disclosed.
• Ryan served as Illinois' governor from 1999 to 2003, leaving office under the shadow of corruption charges tied to his tenure as Secretary of State.
• He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for a bribery scheme that enabled an unqualified truck driver, whose actions led to a 1994 crash killing six children of Scott and Janet Willis.
• Released from prison in 2013, Ryan publicly reflected on his time behind bars, expressing a changed perspective on the criminal justice system but denying personal responsibility for the crash.
• His death renews debate over his political legacy, the human cost of corruption, and Illinois' history of political scandals.