(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who served from 1999 to 2003, died Friday morning at the age of 91. Former Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, a friend of Ryan, told NBC Chicago that the former governor had been in hospice care for the past few days. No word on the cause of death.

Ryan’s political career was overshadowed by a major corruption scandal that led to his conviction on federal fraud and racketeering charges in 2006. The crimes occurred during his time as Illinois Secretary of State, when commercial driver’s licenses were issued in exchange for bribes. The scandal surfaced after a tragic crash that killed six children. Ryan served about five years before being released in 2013.

During his time as governor, Ryan imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois. He also commuted more than 160 death sentences to life in prison. Former Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill, but it was Ryan who put the crusade in motion to end capital punishment. Quinn said this ended a time when Illinois consistently got it wrong on the death penalty. “I didn’t agree with him on hardly any issue,” Quinn told WTAX News. “We ran against each other, actually, in 1994 for secretary of state. But I did agree with him on the death penalty. At the time there were, I believe, twenty men who ultimately were found not guilty or acquitted.”

Ryan is survived by his children and grandchildren.

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