Former Ill. Governor Aide Guilty of Fraud

[UpInArms]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/9662947.htm?1c

CHICAGO - Former Gov. George Ryan's closest political adviser and top aide for a decade pleaded guilty Tuesday to mail fraud and agreed to cooperate in the government's corruption investigation of his former boss.

In exchange for the plea, authorities agreed to drop five other fraud charges against Scott Fawell, who is already serving a 6 1/2-year prison sentence for racketeering.

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The government's corruption investigation has targeted dozens of former state employees and reached as high up the political chain as the former governor.

Fawell's current sentence is for using state employees and taxpayer dollars to fuel Ryan's political campaigns throughout the 1990s. He masterminded Ryan's two successful campaigns for Illinois secretary of state and his 1998 race for governor.

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