President Donald Trump has pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of corruption.
Blagojevich was the state’s governor during 2003-’09; his crimes included attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat vacated by former President Barack Obama, NPR noted.
In 2008, federal prosecutors presented as evidence a profanity-filled telephone conversation Blagojevich had that the FBI secretly recorded. In part, he said, “I mean, I’ve got this thing, and it’s [expletive] golden. And I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing.” Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 and later sentenced to 14 years in prison; he served eight years, with his time behind bars cut short after Trump commuted Blagojevich’s sentence during the chief executive’s first term in office.
Regarding the pardon, Illinois State Treasurer Frerichs issued a statement to Windy City Times. He said, “I made sure Rod Blagojevich was barred from holding state or local office after I voted to remove him as governor. Our disgraced ex-governor held hostage funds for sick kids in a campaign cash shakedown. It’s no surprise Trump doesn’t think Blagojevich committed any crimes.” In 2009, then-state Sen. Frerichs made the motion in the Illinois Senate to ban Blagojevich from holding state or local office after senators had voted to remove him, and that motion was approved.
Blagojevich is the brother-in-law of LGBTQ+ activist and former Chicago Ald. Deb Mell.