Tyrone Clarence Fahner (/ˈfeɪnər/FAY-nər;[1] November 18, 1942 – September 16, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Illinois Attorney General from 1980 until 1983. He was appointed to the position by Governor James R. Thompson after the incumbent, William Scott, had been convicted of a tax crime, which disqualified him from office.
Early life and education
Tyrone Clarence Fahner[2] was born on November 18, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan,[3] to Warren Fahner, a Chrysler employee, and Alma (Newman) Fahner, who worked at Michigan Bell as a telephone operator.[4]
When Thompson was elected governor of Illinois in 1977 he selected Fahner to serve as his director of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, a post which Thompson held until 1979.[4][3]
After leaving office in 1983, Fahner returned to private practice, joining the law firmMayer Brown LLP as a partner.[4][5][3][6] Fahner served on the firm's management committee from 1985 to 2007, and was its co-chairman from 1998 to 2001 and its chairman from 2001 to 2007.[7]
In 2015, Fahner wrote a letter to U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin urging a lenient sentence for former House SpeakerDennis Hastert, who had pleaded guilty to unlawfully structuring bank withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements. (Hastert had made secret payments to a man whom he had sexually abused decades earlier, when Hastert was a high school teacher and coach.)[8] Fahner referred to Hastert as "a kind, strong, principled, and unselfish man" and wrote: "I urge the court to permit him to live the rest of his life in freedom with his family and friends, and all those who love and admire him."[8] Fahner subsequently said that it was a mistake for him to use Mayer Brown firm letterhead for the letter.[9]
Fahner joined the board of trustees of the Shedd Aquarium in 2004, and became the chairman of the board in 2012.[6] Fahner was president of the civic committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago.[11]
Personal life and death
Fahner was married to Anne Fahner.[12] The family lived in Evanston for many years before moving to Northfield in 2014.[12]
Fahner died in Northfield on September 16, 2024, at the age of 81.[13][14]