Trump pardons Rod Blagojevich
by Brett Samuels - 02/10/25 3:34 PM ET
President Trump on Monday signed a full and unconditional pardon for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who served eight years in prison on corruption charges until Trump commuted his sentence in 2020.
“It’s my honor to do it. I’ve watched him. He was set up by a lot of bad people,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office shortly after he had signed the pardon.
Blagojevich ran and served in office as a Democrat, but he has since backed Trump and attended last year’s Republican National Convention.
He was removed from office in 2009 and was later convicted of a wide array of corruption charges, including attempted extortion of a children’s hospital for campaign contributions and trying to sell former President Obama’s Senate seat after he was elected to the White House in 2008. The former governor began serving a 14-year prison sentence in 2012.
Trump commuted Blagojevich’s sentence in February 2020, calling it “ridiculous.” The two men knew each other previously from when the former governor appeared as a contestant on “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Politico reported Blagojevich is being considered to serve as Trump’s ambassador to Serbia. Blagojevich in a recent statement denied he is seeking out the ambassadorship.
“I’m not asking President Trump for anything. I’m profoundly grateful to him for commuting my 14 year prison sentence and giving my daughter’s their father back,” Blagojevich posted on X. “What I am seeking is justice and for the truth of the corrupt prosecution against me to be exposed. If we are going to save our democracy, lawfare and the weaponization of prosecutors for political purposes must end and those who engage in it must be brought to account.”
Axios first reported on Trump’s plans to pardon the former governor.
—Updated at 6:24 p.m.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5136730-trump-pardon-rod-blagojevich/
