McHenry County Blog

Associated Press reporter Mike Robinson is reporting that ex-Crystal Lake resident and admitted felon Don Udstuen claims he paid taxes on whatever part of the hundreds of thousand of dollars of bribes he obtained from Roger Stanley and Larry Warner, both fellow convicted felons.

Udstuen is scheduled to be sentenced this Thursday in the federal court of Judge Rebecca Pallymeyer.

Udstuen is now living near Galesburg.

Crystal Laker Paul Laudick, the former president of Centegra, is reported to have written a letter of praise to the judge.

Udstuen was an advisor to former Governor George Ryan while

· he was seeking to become Republican leader of the Illinois House in the 1970’s,

· when Ryan was seeking to run for Lieutenant Governor with Jim Thompson against State Senator Don Totten of Schaumburg and State Rep. Susan Catania of Chicago,

· when Ryan ran for Secretary of State and

· when Ryan was running for Governor

Considering that Udstuen was also former McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Al Jourdan, Jr.'s boss while Udstuen was partonage chief for former Governor Richard B. Ogilvie, as well as one of Jourdan's closest political advisors, it is hard to understand why the Northwest Herald has not been covering this story like a blanket.

Maybe the paper will send someone the Udstuen's sentencing hearing on Wednesday. It would be interesting to learn who else wrote letters on Udstuen's behalf.

Just in case you want to read more about Don Udstuen, here is most of what I have written about him:

Former Crystal Lake resident and Illinois Medical Society super-lobbyist Don Udstuen played a central role in the George Ryan corruption trial. Udstuen not only was a close advisor of Ryan when he was running for Illinois House Republican leader in the 1970’s, House Speaker, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and Governor.

Indeed, it is probably not much, if any of an overstatement to suggest that Ryan would have held none of those offices without Udstuen’s counsel.

Here are the articles that appeared in McHenry County Blog on the McHenry County angle:

Friday, November 11, 2005 - Ex-McHenry County Resident Donald Udstuen's Actions Related in Biggest Day for Prosecution in Former Governor George Ryan's Corruption Trial

Friday, November 11, 2005 - Part 1 - What the Feds Say Don Udstuen Did Relating to George Ryan and Larry Warner

Friday, November 11, 2005 - Part 2 - IBM & Honeywell - What the Feds Say Don Udstuen Did Relating to George Ryan and Larry Warner

Friday, November 11, 2005 - Part 3 - Viiasge & American Decal with Lots More

Thursday, December 08, 2005 - Former Crystal Laker Don Udstuen on George Ryan Witness Stand Today

Thursday, December 08, 2005 - Don Udstuen's First Day of Testimony in George Ryan's Corruption Trial

Saturday, December 10, 2005 - Message of the Day – A Quote

Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - Don Udstuen’s Second Day on the Stand at George Ryan Corruption Trial

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - Who Got the Other One-Third of Larry Warner's Lobbying Fees?

Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - Don Udstuen’s Third Day at the George Ryan Corruption Trial

Saturday, January 21, 2006 - George Ryan Trial Summary by WBBM-TV’s Mike Flannery