Friends struggle with jailed NH lawmaker's past

CONCORD, N.H.—As friends and colleagues of a jailed lawmaker try to reconcile the conflicting images emerging about his past, one of his ex-wives says he still owes her $60,000.

Stat Rep. Jim Ryan, D-Franklin, was arrested last month for violating a court order that he repay thousands of dollars from a fraud case. Court records also show he has a criminal record in three states dating back to the 1980s.

Though his local friends know him as a devoted father to his three daughters, he also has two sons from his first marriage. His first wife, who lives in the South, said she's still waiting for the money owed to her sons but she's given up being angry.

Ryan, 50, was jailed after repeatedly failing to pay nearly $9,700 he's owed two forgery victims for nearly 16 years, according to court records. He served prison time in Concord for the offenses long ago but never fulfilled promises to pay the debt.

News of his arrest shocked his local friends and colleagues, as did news accounts of his lengthy record, which includes multiple charges of forgery, drunken driving and working as a lawyer without a license.

"I didn't see any of it coming," said Sen. Peter Burling of Cornish, who worked closely with Ryan while running for office. "He was incredibly hard working. And he invested an immense amount of effort in ... the well-being of Franklin. He was completely committed to the advocacy for the city of Franklin."

Larry Hennessey, chairman of the Franklin Democrats, said his support for Ryan hasn't diminished but he's confused.

"I'm having a hard time with this," he said. "In my 58 years of experience, I have never seen anybody who took an interest in every single person they came into contact with. He's done nothing but good. I don't know what to say."

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Information from: Concord Monitor, http://www.cmonitor.com