Trump taps the brakes on commuting Blagojevich's sentence after calls from Illinois GOP
by Tim Pearce
| August 14, 2019 09:04 AM
President Trump appears to be backing off his plans to commute ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s sentence after receiving calls from state lawmakers against such an action.
Several Illinois GOP lawmakers have lobbied the president, some directly, against releasing Blagojevich from prison. Illinois House Reps. Darin LaHood, John Shimkus, Adam Kinzinger, Rodney Davis, and Mike Bost released a joint statement last week opposing to the move.
"It's important that we take a strong stand against pay-to-play politics, especially in Illinois where four of our last eight Governors have gone to federal prison for public corruption," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "Commuting the sentence of Rod Blagojevich, who has a clear and documented record of egregious corruption, sets a dangerous precedent and goes against the trust voters place in elected officials."
LaHood and Bost took their case directly to the president in phone conversations on Thursday night, according to CNN. The Illinois Republicans warned that commuting the disgraced former governor’s sentence would send a bad message.
LaHood also brought up allegations that Blagojevich attempted to shake down the CEO of a children's hospital by threatening to cut off state funds to the medical center.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-taps-the-brakes-on-commuting-blagojevichs-sentence-after-calls-from-illinois-gop
