President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he was commuting the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews that Blagojevich “served eight years in jail. It’s a long time to go.”
The New York Times noted that by commuting the sentence, Trump would free Blagojevich from prison without wiping out the conviction.
A Democrat, Blagojevich, has been in the Federal Correctional Institution, near Littleton Colorado since March 15, 2012 after being sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges, NBC noted.
He has been serving time for charges including wire fraud, extortion and soliciting bribes while governor.
Blagojevich's most notorious conviction is for trying to sell for campaign money an appointment to the U.S. Senate seat Barack Obama vacated to become president. Jurors also convicted him for trying to extort a Chicago children's hospital for campaign cash.
Trump first publicly mentioned the idea of trying to help in May 2018, saying Blagojevich was convicted for "being stupid, saying things . . . many other politicians say." He said Blagojevich’s sentence was too harsh.
Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, had lobbied the president hard on her husband’s behalf. Trump hosted Blagojevich on TV’s “Celebrity Apprentice” show in 2010.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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