CHICAGO (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has asked the president to commute former Gov. George Ryan's corruption sentence.
Durbin on Monday released a letter he sent asking President George W. Bush to "consider commuting the sentence of George Ryan to time served."
Ryan has served one year of a 6 1/2-year sentence for racketeering, fraud and other offenses.
Durbin has said the former governor has paid a price for his crimes by losing his government pension, having his family name ruined and being separated from his frail wife.
The Chicago Sun-Times on Monday published an open letter to Durbin from Ryan juror Kevin Rein. Rein contends commuting Ryan's sentence "will take away a little more of the faith that the average American has in this country."
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