Trump has pardoned former Governor of Illinois Rod Blagoevich – public radio Boise State

President Trump has pardoned former Illinois governor Rod Blagoevich, who has been convicted of corruption crimes, including trying to sell a place in the US Senate, vacated by former President Barack Obama.

Blagojevich has served as governor of the state since 2003-09. It was a political saga at the end of his time in service.

In 2008, federal prosecutors accused Blagojevich of turning the Illinois government into an operation to make money for itself by trying, among other things, to shake a children’s hospital and owners of racing tracks. When prosecutors accused Blagojevich of corruption for the Senate, they presented as evidence filled with a profane telephone conversation that was secretly recorded by the FBI.

“I mean, I have this thing and it’s [expletive] Golden. And I just don’t give it up [expletive] Nothing, ”Blagoevich said.

He claims that he was simply involved in political trade in horses and went on a national tour for publicity to announce his innocence.

Blagojevich was an impeach and removed as governor in January 2009 and then charged this March. The next year he appeared and was launched by the reality show of Donald Trump, CelebrityS

Blagojevich was sentenced in 2011 and later sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was serving for eight years, his time behind bars interrupted after President Trump replaced Blaggevich’s sentence during his first office.

Many leading Democrats and Republicans in Illinois have criticized this move. The then chairman of the Republican Party of Illinois said in a statement that, in a state in which corrupt machine -style policy was too common, it is important for those who are found guilty to execute their sentence in prison in their entirety.

After he was released from prison, Blagoevich and his wife Patti held a press conference. He was released a political prisoner, calling the system of criminal justice both violated and unfair.

“We want to express our deepest and eternal gratitude to President Trump,” Blagoevich said. “How to properly thank someone who has returned you the freedom that has been stolen by you?”

The former democratic governor also declared himself to Trump-short.

President Trump said he was providing Blagojevich full pardon. He called the Blagojevich sentence “terrible injustice” and he called the former governor of Illinois, a nice man.

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