Former Ill. Gov. George Ryan Apologizes for Crimes

In this April 17, 2006, file photo former Illinois Gov. George Ryan leaves Chicago's federal...

In this April 17, 2006, file photo former Illinois Gov. George Ryan leaves Chicago's federal courthouse following his conviction on all 22-counts of racketeering and fraud charges. While the news media riveted attention on his scandal-plagued successor, former Illinois Gov. George Ryan apologized Friday, Dec. 11, 2008 for crimes in office that landed him in federal prison, saying he had given "less than my best" as a public official. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

(AP)

While the news media riveted attention on his scandal-plagued successor, former Illinois Gov. George Ryan apologized Friday for crimes in office that landed him in federal prison, saying he had given "less than my best" as a public official.

"I want to make things right in my heart with God, with my family and with those I have hurt," Ryan said in a statement released by his attorneys. "As a former public official, a husband, a father and a grandfather, I apologize."

The statement is to be sent to President George Bush as an addition to the petition for clemency filed weeks ago. Presidents customarily commute some sentences and issue some pardons as they leave office.

Ryan is hoping Bush will commute his sentence to time served.

Ryan's chief attorney, former Gov. James R. Thompson, declined to speculate on whether the burgeoning scandal over alleged corruption on the part of Ryan's successor, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, would have any impact on the bid for clemency.

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Ryan, 74, has served one year of a 6 1/2-year sentence for racketeering, fraud and other crimes while he was Illinois secretary of state and later governor.

He was convicted along with a friend, Larry Warner, who received a number of big-money state contracts while Ryan was secretary of state.

Ryan was accused of steering contracts to cronies, using state employees to run his campaigns and burying an investigation of bribes paid in exchange for truck driver's licenses when he was secretary of state.

For the first time, Ryan accepted blame for the November 1994 tragedy in which a part dropped off a truck and tore into the gas tank of a van driven by the Rev. Scott Willis of Chicago, setting the vehicle afire and killing six of Willis' children.

The truck driver's license is believed to have been purchased illegally from an employee of the Illinois secretary of state's office who contributed some funds from the sale of driver's licenses to the Citizens for Ryan campaign fund.