WASHINGTON--Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, serving a prison term on federal corruption charges, was released briefly on Wednesday to visit his severely ill wife, Lura Lynn, according to a document filed in federal court in Chicago.

The disclosure of the visit came in a brief filed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in a showdown with Ryan over his request to be released to be with his wife in what may be her last days.

From the filing: "The government does not dispute that Mrs. Ryan's medical condition is grave. In fact, recognizing the seriousness of her condition, on the evening of Wednesday, January 5, 2011, the Bureau of Prisons granted Ryan an escorted trip to the hospital where is wife is being treated. There, according to officials at the Bureau of Prisons, Ryan visited with his wife for approximately two hours between approximately 7:30 and 9:40 p.m. Thus, through normal prison procedures, Ryan has been able to
visit with his wife. The district court correctly determined that Ryan should not
receive treatment that other defendants would not receive based on his wife's
medical condition."