‘Treated unfairly’ — Trump says he might commute sentence of Blagojevich
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday night he was considering commuting the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is serving a 14-year sentence in a federal prison for corruption.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as they flew back to Washington from El Paso, Texas, the president hinted he was open to giving Blagojevich, 62, a break.
“I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly; he was given close to 18 years in prison. And a lot of people thought it was unfair, like a lot of other things — and it was the same gang, the Comey gang and all these sleaze bags that did it. And his name is Rod Blagojevich. And I’m thinking about commuting his sentence,” Trump said, getting the sentence wrong. “He’s been in jail for seven years over a phone call where nothing happens — over a phone call which he shouldn’t have said what he said, but it was braggadocio you would say. I would think that there have been many politicians — I’m not one of them, by the way — that have said a lot worse over the telephone.”
Wife Patti Blagojevich has waged a focused campaign — primarily in Fox News appearances and through social media — to appeal to Trump for clemency.
“His wife I think is fantastic, and I’m thinking about commuting his sentence very strongly. I think it’s enough, seven years,” Trump said.
According to a pool report, Trump met with reporters on the plane for an off-therecord conversation but put the subject of Blagojevich on the record.
“In the last hour of the flight, POTUS came back to the press cabin for a 45-minute off-the-record conversation. He then said the press could put one part on the record — that he is again considering commuting the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich,” the pool report said.
The pool report did not mention why Trump wanted to discuss Blagojevich.
Contacted by a Sun-Times reporter late Wednesday, Patti Blagojevich was surprised to hear of the president’s comments but declined to comment.
Rod Blagojevich is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2024. He is serving his sentence in an Englewood, Colorado, facility.
In May 2018, Trump dangled the potential of helping Blagojevich, whom Trump got to know on “The Celebrity Apprentice” in 2010.
That prompted seven Republican House members from Illinois to urge the president not to commute the sentence.
Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., organized the letter, which asked Trump to “give thoughtful attention to our fear that granting clemency for the former governor would set a detrimental precedent and send a damaging message on your efforts to root out public corruption in our government.”
At the same time, Sen. Dick Durbin, DIll., said he’d support an effort to free Blagojevich.
“I think that the sentence imposed on Rod Blagojevich was definitely way too long. Fourteen years, it didn’t make sense,” Durbin said.
“And so I’m not commenting on whether he was culpable or guilty. That was decided by the courts, but I thought the sentence was outrageous, and if there’s a way to reduce the sentence for him and his family, I would support it.
Added Durbin, “I’ll let President Trump make that decision, but I certainly think 14 years was entirely too long.”
Blaogjevich started serving his sentence on March 15, 2012.