President Trump signed full pardons Monday for former Democratic Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, who was convicted of corruption in 2011 to sell Barack Obama (Barack Obama) evacuated Senate seat.
“It’s my honor,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office of pardon. “I’ve seen him. He’s built by a lot of bad guys, some of the people I have to deal with.”
The pardon is the latest prelude between the president and the former governor, who is still known as “Brago” in Chicago. Just five years ago, Mr. Trump commuted to Mr. Blagoevich’s 14-year prison sentence, allowing him to be released from the Colorado prison eight years later and then return to his family residence on the north side of Chicago.
Later Monday, Mr. Blagojevic spoke to reporters outside his home, thanking Mr. Trump for his “broken justice system”. He said he had been misunderstood by prosecutors who abused the power to accuse him. “I want to say two things to the people of Illinois: First, I never raised your taxes, second, I didn’t do that,” Mr. Blagojevich said. “It’s all political speeches.”
The former governor insisted that he never violated any laws and was a victim of the overly fanatical Justice Department during the Obama administration. Federal prosecutors said Mr. Blagojevic’s actions (trying to benefit from actions such as appointing a Senate seat) were so bad that “will bring Lincoln over his grave.”
But he found a sympathetic audience in Mr. Trump. He appealed to Mr. Blagojevich when he was awaiting trial 15 years ago, when Mr. Trump was the host, he appeared on the “Celebrity Apprentice”. Mr. Blagoevich’s wife Patti spoke on Fox News while her husband was in jail, a move that seemed to be aimed at attracting Mr. Trump’s attention.
Mr. Blagojevich, the fourth governor of Illinois in recent decades, has seen its collection of elected officials from Chicago City Council to Springfield State Assembly members. corruption allegations.
Michael J. Madigan, a former spokesman for the Illinois House of Representatives, has so far considered the jury for nine days without a verdict.
