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Ryan campaign, two former aides indictedApril 2, 2002 BY ASSOCIATED PRESS Gov. George Ryan's campaign was charged as a corrupt enterprise and two former top aides were indicted on federal charges Tuesday. Scott Fawell, Ryan's former top aide when he was secretary of state and manager of Ryan's successful 1998 campaign for governor, was charged with racketeering, mail fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice in a 10-count indictment. Also charged was Richard Juliano, who served as a top campaign aide and later staffer to the governor before becoming the U.S. Transportation Department's liaison to the White House. The indictment charged that the two men were part of a racketeering enterprise that involved Ryan's campaign committee and the Illinois secretary of state's office. It said the racketeering included 20 acts of 20 acts of mail fraud, bribery and obstruction of justice. The indictments were the biggest in the four-year federal investigation that began as a probe of the selling of driver's license for bribes when Ryan was secretary of state. Some of that bribe money ended up in Ryan's campaign fund. The governor has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors said the primary objectives of the racketeering enterprise were to illegally use secretary of state employees for campaign activities, perform official acts as a way of helping the campaign and concealing certain campaign activities from public exposure and possible prosecution. Fawell and others caused the creation of false documents in the secretary of state's office to justify pay raises and promotions for employees in return for the campaign work they performed, according to the indictment. Juliano, 34, resigned last week from the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The indictment charged that the two men were part of a racketeering enterprise that involved Ryan's campaign committee and the Illinois secretary of state's office. It said the racketeering included 20 acts of 20 acts of mail fraud, bribery and obstruction of justice. The indictment charges that Fawell and others caused the creation of false documents in the secretary of state's office to justify pay raises and promotions for employees in return for the campaign work they performed. Federal prosecutors said the primary objectives of the racketeering enterprise were to illegally use secretary of state employees for campaign activities, perform official acts as a way of helping the campaign and concealing certain campaign activities from public exposure and possible prosecution. Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed |
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