Marathon Pundit: Ex-Gov. Ryan in prison, but will his successor be indicted?

Three of the last seven governors of Illinois have ended up in federal prison, the most recent of which of course is George H. Ryan, a Republican who served from one term that ended in 2003. Ryan reported to the Oxford Federal Correctional Institute in Wisconsin on Wednesday.

The other two governors, both Democrats, were the Dan Walker and the late Otto Kerner. To be fair to Walker, although he was a terrible governor, he was sentenced to prison in the 1980s for, you guessed it, his role in a savings and loan scandal. Sadly, both men left prison broken men.

But to be fair to Illinois' well-deserved reputation for corruption, Democrat Sam Shapiro was governor for only eight months, so if we leave the late Mr. Shapiro out, then it's three of the last six who've done time.

Who'll be next? Well, the easy answer of course would be the current occupant of the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, but that can't happen. But it's a trick question--Democrat Rod Blagojevich refuses to live there, preferring his bungalow on Chicago's Northwest Side, where he (sometimes) works.

Seriously, Rod Blagojevich very well may be the next Illinois governor to enter the "House of Many Doors."

ABC 7 Chicago's Andy Shaw nicely wraps up the current odious situation with the executive branch of the nation's fifth most-populous state.

With former Governor George Ryan now in prison, the federal investigation into the administration of the current governor, Rod Blagojevich, is moving into the spotlight. Federal prosecutors are investigating Blagojevich and his administration on multiple fronts, in Chicago and in Springfield.

Federal prosecutors are reportedly looking at the way the governor and his administration handle jobs, contracts, pension funds, political fundraising, even a "birthday gift" from an old friend. But, according to sources familiar with the investigations, Blagojevich himself is not in the crosshairs, at this point, and of course the governor claims to have done nothing wrong. But US Attorney Pat Fitzgerald is tenacious, patient, and the beneficiary of unlimited resources to squeeze everyone around Blagojevich.

The biggest single threat to the governor is probably Tony Rezko, a major Blagojevich fundraiser and political operative, who is scheduled to go on trial in February for allegedly shaking down state contractors for cash and campaign contributions. Rezko is fighting the charge and not cooperating with the government at this point.

Rezko is in the inset of the above Blagojevich photo.

Shaw notes that Scott Fawell, a scion of a raucous Illinois political family and the man who was Ryan's top lieutenant while he was Secretary of State--the time when most of Ryan's crimes were committed--was similarly uncooperative, until Fawell and his girlfriend were sentenced to prison for their roles in the scandal.

Rezko, according to Shaw is "the wild card." Of course outside of Illinois, Rezko, a longtime real estate developer, is best known because his wife Rita participated in a bizarre property transaction involving a piece of land next to the Obama family mansion on Chicago's South Side. That deal, which Obama later called "boneheaded," permanently punctured the senator's aura as a "new kind of politician."

Rezko was an Obama backer even before he was a state senator.

Obama has nothing to do with the Blagojevich mess, but Tony Rezko's name getting in the news is always problematic for the junior senator from my state.

Here's a tip for the Obama campaign: Stop bringing up the senator's years as a Springfield legislator as evidence of how he can be an effective president. If it happens, and luckily for Obama it'll probably be later as opposed to sooner, a federal indictment of George Ryan's Democratic successor will solidify Illinois as the most-corrupt state in the union.

Related posts:

Chicago Tribune: Change law, then recall Gov. Blagojevich

Obama not so transparent, despite jabs at Hillary

Ryan leaves home for prison amidst circus atmosphere

"Rezko lot" next to Obama's home for sale

"Consigliere" Rezko still shadowing Obama

Rezko cash three times what Obama claims

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