Another Domino Falls

By vouchey in News on Sep 2, 2004 10:24PM

One more domino in the increasingly corrupt former-Gov. George Ryan administration fell today when power-lobbyist Al Ronan pleaded guilty to mail fraud in connection with bid rigging in the $800 million expansion of Chicago's McCormick Place convention center and agreed to pay a $350,000 fine.

Ronan, leader of Illinois lobbying firm Ronan-Potts, LLC and once a top fundraiser for former Republican Governor George Ryan, is only the latest in a series of top Ryan aids and associates to be convicted for trading money for favors through the Governor's Office, and the Secretary of State's Office, while Ryan held that position.

It was only a matter of time before Ronan took a plea, since former Ryan chief of staff Scott Fawell named on March 19 "unnamed" Ronan Potts employees as conduits for passing sealed bidding information on a McCormick Place expansion project. Ronan Potts passed that information on to a client, Jacobs Facilities Inc., which according to Associated Press, "the St. Louis company was able to cut its bid from $18.8 million to $11.5 million in a second round of "best and final" bids. It won the contract."

Fawell's in jail. His assistant, Alexandra Coutretsis is too. We're thinking it's only a matter of time before George Ryan is on his way to the pokey.