Ryan “provided not only the spark for the investigation, but … nurtured the flame at the darkest times when the possibility of a favorable outcome seemed most remote,” Kelly wrote. “Peggy Ryan wore a wire, risked her career, and invested 9 years of her life in this fight. Her lawyers had millions of dollars tied up in this litigation. Nothing would have happened if a whistleblower had not stood up, spoken up, and lawyered up.”