Illinois Marathon Pundit

A man who negotiated hundreds of leases for the Secretary of State's office testified Monday the office broke from accepted practice when it struck a deal with a friend of George Ryan.

Jim Esslinger, a former property management administrator in the Driver's Services Department, said he was directed in 1997 to relocate a driver's licensing facility into a building in South Holland owned by Ryan friend Harry Klein. The feds say Klein had treated Ryan to years of free stays at his Jamaican home.

Esslinger said he typically evaluated at least three sites before choosing one for a licensing facility. But not this time.

Testifying at Ryan's public corruption trial, Esslinger said he hadn't heard of a need to relocate to South Holland from Lake Calumet but was following directions from superiors.

# posted by Marathon Pundit @ 7:46 AM