CHICAGO – Imprisoned former Illinois Gov. George Ryan is seeking to have elements of his conviction thrown out based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year.
In a federal court filing in Chicago, Ryan’s attorneys cited the ruling that put limits on so-called honest services provisions. Such laws bar public officials from denying taxpayers honest services.
The Republican is serving a six-and-a-half year prison sentence. Not all the charges a jury convicted him on in 2006 are tied to the disputed provision.
During former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s recent corruption trial, defense attorneys also cited the honest services ruling in a motion for a mistrial. The judge rejected it.
Blagojevich’s trial ended in a hung jury on most counts and he’s expected to be retried.