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Fortinbras Armstrong

(4,473 posts)
18. Ryan can be linked to the children's death, albeit indirectly
Tue Oct 13, 2015, 02:03 PM
Oct 2015

For those of you unfamiliar with the Ryan case, before Ryan became Governor, he was Illinois Secretary of State, in charge of (among other things), the Department of Motor Vehicles.

In 1994, a Baptist minister from Chicago was going with his wife and their six children to Milwaukee on Interstate 94. The van they were in was rear-ended by a semi and all the children were killed. During the investigation, it was discovered that the truck driver had a valid Illinois license, but could only speak Spanish. This was odd because the written test to get an Illinois truck driver's license is only given in English. So how did the man get his license?

An investigation was started, and it was quickly discovered that examiners in the DMV were accepting bribes in exchange for giving licenses to unqualified drivers. What infuriated people especially was that the reason the DMV examiners were taking the bribes was that they were expected to contribute very generously to Ryan's political war chest -- up to 10% of their salaries. So they were taking these bribes in large part to give (forced) campaign contributions to Ryan.

When Jesse White became Secretary of State, one of the first things he said was that he would not accept any campaign contributions from anyone who worked for him.

I didn't see the show but any governor of any state that has the death penalty marym625 Oct 2015 #1
because he had blood on his own hands. only. mopinko Oct 2015 #7
you're correct. marym625 Oct 2015 #12
You mean he personally sold the license to the immigrant ChairmanAgnostic Oct 2015 #17
Ryan can be linked to the children's death, albeit indirectly Fortinbras Armstrong Oct 2015 #18
the driver of the ill maintained truck bought his license. mopinko Oct 2015 #24
I felt bad for the original prosecutor Blue_In_AK Oct 2015 #2
"The system worked" moondust Oct 2015 #3
It was absolutely infuriating. WIProgressive88 Oct 2015 #4
It was a disgusting story. iandhr Oct 2015 #5
I posted the script in GD and in Good Reads this eve. eom LiberalElite Oct 2015 #6
VOTE!!! STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS...if you don't, don't complain...you are part of the problem! kelliekat44 Oct 2015 #8
AND RUN! duhneece Oct 2015 #14
I used to be pro death penalty until I heard a startling statistic a few years back Victor_c3 Oct 2015 #9
What a colossal, racist prick that prosecutor was while defending Darb Oct 2015 #10
About the prosecutor who said the man should not be compensated IHateTheGOP Oct 2015 #11
I have a good friend in Louisiana . . . OldRedneck Oct 2015 #13
I live in Biloxi. LuvNewcastle Oct 2015 #16
The New Prosecutor erpowers Oct 2015 #15
This is, thankfully, starting to change. cab67 Oct 2015 #19
The new prosecutor basically said the man had to prove a negative . . . markpkessinger Oct 2015 #20
I grew up in Jefferson Parish Aerows Oct 2015 #21
I was appalled NJCher Oct 2015 #22
That case goes back many years before Booby KamaAina Oct 2015 #23
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