FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

April 17, 2006

Dave Druker

Statement from Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State
Regarding Verdict of Former Governor and Secretary of State George H. Ryan

SPRINGFIELD — I want to take this opportunity to reassure the people of Illinois that since I became Secretary of State in 1999, my number one priority was to restore integrity to the office. I did this by creating a strong, independent Inspector General's office and hired former U.S. Attorney Jim Burns to run it; I banned the practice of asking employees to buy and sell fund-raising tickets; and I reformed the truck-licensing program, including re-testing thousands of drivers who may have obtained their licenses under questionable circumstances.

My commitment to combating any form of misconduct within this office remains a top priority and I urge anyone - either employees or the public - to contact my Inspector General's office at (630) 455-4013 or (217) 785-2012 to report suspicious activities.