229 - George W. Bush Autograph Letter Signed as Governor to Illinois Governor George Ryan - Presidential Campaign Support (1999)

George W. Bush Autograph Letter Signed as Governor to Illinois Governor George Ryan - Presidential Campaign Support (1999) ALS, one page both sides, 7 x 5, personal Governor of Texas stationery card, August 15, 1999. Handwritten letter to “Gov and Lura Lynn,” Illinois Governor George Ryan and his wife, in full: “Thank you for your hospitality and strong support. My trip to Springfield was great. You and your team did a really good job of lining up support.” In very fine condition, with tiny staple holes to the upper left corner. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, a 2001 White House invitation for a Christmas reception held on December 12, 2001 (with envelope), and a printed photo of Bush posing with Lura Lynn Ryan. George Ryan (1934-2025) served five terms in the Illinois House before becoming lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and, in 1999, governor of Illinois. As governor, he drew national attention for imposing a moratorium on executions in 2000 and, shortly before leaving office in 2003, commuting the sentences of the state’s death-row inmates. His political career was later overshadowed by Operation Safe Road, a federal corruption investigation that began with bribes for commercial driver’s licenses during his tenure as secretary of state and ultimately resulted in his 2006 conviction on 18 counts, including racketeering and fraud, and a 6½-year federal prison sentence. Ryan, who had chaired George W. Bush’s Illinois campaign in 2000, later sought clemency from Bush but did not receive it before Bush left office in 2009.