Press Release
12-26-11
Hammer Returns to Kankakee
The Orland Park author of the book about George Ryan is coming back to Kankakee. Ed Hammer will be returning to the Paperback Reader on January 5th, 2012 to sign and discuss the Kankakee best seller One Hundred Percent Guilty: How an Insider Links the Death of Six Children to the Politics of Convicted Illinois Governor George Ryan.
Hammer’s debut of his book in Ryan’s hometown was at the Paperback reader this last December 3rd. With over 50 area residents stopping to get their own autographed copy, Paula Goodwin, the store’s owner, stated she sold out and had to re-order more copies. There has been a steady demand for the book and requests for another personal appearance by Hammer since the December 3rd signing.
One Hundred Percent Guilty is the story of veteran cops, Ed Hammer and Russ Sonneveld whose job was to investigate crimes committed by state employees. What they uncovered was a pattern of bribes for licenses that filtered cash to the campaign war chest of their boss, George Ryan. Ryan along with Dean Bauer and Scott Fawell covered up the bribery scheme along with other crimes. Then a fatal crash occurred.
Reverend Scott Willis and his wife Janet watched as their children burned to death in the family van. Hammer and Sonneveld linked that accident to the bribery fundraising scheme. It was politics as usual, Illinois style. Ryan was eventually elected Governor. Then federal authorities began looking into Hammer's and Sonneveld's allegations uncovering a dishonest governor and his crooked political organization. Finally, thirteen years after the death of the six children and 76 convictions later, Ryan began his serving a six and one half years sentence in a federal prison. This is the story through Ed Hammer's eyes of the events the led to Ryan's demise.
The Paperback Reader will be open additional hours on January 5th to hold this special event. Hammer will sign copies of his book from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The Paperback Reader is located at 1015 N. 5th Avenue Kankakee, Il. For more information call (815) 932-1147. Ed Hammer can be reached at www.consulthammer.com
Ed Hammer served as an investigator in Ryan’s inspector general's office when Ryan was the secretary of state. Hammer’s testimony help convict Inspector General Dean Bauer and George Ryan.