Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich expresses profound gratitude to President Trump for his pardon, maintaining his innocence and criticizing the legal system that put him behind bars.
Key Takeaways
- Rod Blagojevich received a full pardon from President Trump five years after having his prison sentence commuted.
- Blagojevich maintains his innocence, claiming the charges were politically motivated and that he did not break any laws.
- Trump described Blagojevich as “a very fine person” and suggested he was set up by “bad people.”
- Despite the pardon, Blagojevich remains disbarred and ineligible to hold state office in Illinois.
- Blagojevich has aligned himself with Trump, becoming a self-proclaimed “Trumpocrat” and speaking at pro-Trump events.
Trump’s Pardon and Blagojevich’s Gratitude
Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has expressed deep appreciation for President Donald Trump’s decision to grant him a full pardon. The pardon came five years after Trump commuted his prison sentence. Blagojevich had served nearly eight years of a 14-year sentence for corruption charges, including an alleged attempt to sell or trade Barack Obama’s former Senate seat.
Blagojevich, who had previously appeared on Trump’s reality TV show “The Celebrity Apprentice,” has been vocal about his warm relationship with the former president. In a statement following his release, Blagojevich emphasized his gratitude and admiration for Trump stating, “I just wanna say again how profoundly grateful my family and I are for what President Trump did for us. I have unbelievably warm affection for him. He’s been nothing but kind to me.”
Trump pardons ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich 5 years after commuting his sentence https://t.co/A2fjBtmRwX
— Live5News (@Live5News) February 11, 2025
Maintaining Innocence and Criticizing the Legal System
Throughout his incarceration and following his release, Blagojevich has consistently maintained his innocence. He argues that the charges against him were politically motivated and that his actions were merely “routine political deals.”
I didn’t break a law. That so-called sale of the Senate seat was reversed by the appellate court many years later, after I sat in prison for a long time…And my goal is to get full and complete vindication and show just how corrupt those prosecutors were who threw me in jail for eight years,” insisted Blagojevich.
Blagojevich’s claims of innocence are bolstered by the fact that five of his 18 convictions were later overturned by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. However, it’s important to note that the majority of his convictions were upheld, and his attempts to overturn his political ban have been unsuccessful.
Trump’s Support and Criticism of the Investigation
President Trump has been a vocal supporter of Blagojevich, describing him as “a very fine person” and suggesting that he was unfairly targeted by the same individuals involved in investigations against Trump himself.
“I’ve watched him. He was set up by a lot of bad people, some of the same people I had to deal with,” Trump said as he signed the pardon.
Trump’s decision to pardon Blagojevich was met with bipartisan criticism, including from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. However, Trump remained steadfast in his support, drawing parallels between Blagojevich’s case and his own experiences with federal investigations.
Life After Pardon: Blagojevich’s Current Status
Since his release, Blagojevich has aligned himself closely with Trump, becoming a self-proclaimed “Trumpocrat” and speaking at pro-Trump events.
Despite receiving a full pardon, Blagojevich faces ongoing consequences from his conviction. He remains disbarred and is prohibited from holding state office in Illinois due to his impeachment. However, he could potentially run for federal office if he chose to do so. The pardon has undoubtedly opened new doors for Blagojevich, but the full impact of this dramatic turn in his story is yet to be seen.
