Rod Blagojevich, a former governor of Illinois, was granted a complete and unconditional pardon by President Trump on Monday. Blagojevich had been serving eight years in prison for corruption charges prior to Trump’s decision to shorten 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 said to reporters after signing the pardon in the Oval Office.
Although Blagojevich was a Democrat when he ran for government and served in that capacity, he has subsequently shifted his support to Trump and attended the Republican National Convention in the previous year.
He was removed from office in 2009 and was eventually convicted of a wide range of corruption crimes, including attempting to blackmail a children’s hospital for campaign contributions and attempting to sell former President Obama’s Senate seat after he was elected to the White House in 2008.
He was removed from office in 2009. The former governor started serving his sentence of fourteen years in jail in the year 2012.
It was claimed by Politico that Blagojevich is now being considered for the position of ambassador to Serbia for President Trump.
Recently, Blagojevich issued a statement in which he denied that he is actively seeking 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. 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.” Blagojevich said in a statement on X.
This is a statement I sent to the NY Post when asked about whether I am “eyeing an Ambassadorship.”
I’m not eyeing it. 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…
— Rod Blagojevich (@realBlagojevich) January 22, 2025
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