Trump cuts down on IL's controversial former governor


Rod Blagojevich was serving a 14-year sentence for multiple federal corruption convictions.

President Trump commuted Tuesday the sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Until Tuesday, Blagojevich served a 14-year sentence for multiple federal corruption convictions.

In previous speeches, Trump had already said that Blagojevich’s sentence was really unfair.

“He is not from my party, but I think he was treated unfairly,” the president said last January.

In December 2008, then Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his team leader John Harris were charged with corruption by federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

In January 2009, Blagojevich was removed from office after being prosecuted by the Illinois Senate.

In a second trial, a jury convicted him of 17 charges including electronic fraud, attempted extortion and conspiracy to request bribes.

In December 2011, he was sentenced to 14 years in jail.

Rob Blagojevich case count

Among the accusations against him were corruption, bribery and the intention of obtaining personal benefits to fill the position of senator vacated by the now-former president Barack Obama.

In January 2009, the State Senate displaced Blagojevich from the position of governor, however, he said he would not give up.

“The struggle continues, that I am not governor does not mean that I will not continue fighting for you and for the causes for which I have fought all my life,” said Blagojevich shortly after the scandal broke out.

But the former governor’s legal fight was just beginning.

News in development, please stay tuned for upcoming updates.

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