Tag Archives: Rod Blagojevich

Axios reports: President Donald Trump is expected to pardon former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, according to a person familiar with the plans. Blagojevich served eight years in prison on charges stemming from his effort to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat after Obama won the 2008 presidential election, until Trump commuted his 14-year sentence in 2020. Trump and Blagojevich have a …

The Chicago Tribune reports: As a general rule, it’s never good when a federal judge feels compelled to address your case with a quote from Dr. Seuss. But that’s exactly what happened Thursday to disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose lawsuit challenging the state resolution prohibiting him from running for any state or local office in Illinois was excoriated by …

CNN reports: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday declared himself a “political prisoner” in a contentious interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper over the substantial evidence prosecutors used to convict him on a host of public corruption charges. Blagojevich’s sentence was commuted earlier this week by President Donald Trump after the Democrat and former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant had served eight …

Forbes reports: Executives at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and pediatric doctors there had no comment Tuesday following word President Donald Trump was commuting the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich, who has been serving eight years in federal prison following a conviction in a campaign corruption scheme was accused, among other things, of trying to sell …

Media Matters reports: Blagojevich’s team followed in the footsteps of other would-be pardon-seekers by pursuing a Fox-centric PR strategy. His wife, Patti Blagojevich, made the rounds on Fox beginning in April 2018, appearing at least seven times on the network’s programming to date. She received a sympathetic platform from Fox hosts including Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Martha MacCallum, and Jeanine …

Fox News reports: Former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, himself impeached and now serving a 14-year term in federal prison for corruption, said in a new op-ed that today’s House Democrats would have impeached Abraham Lincoln. Blagojevich, a Democrat who drew the attention of federal prosecutors when he was caught on tape allegedly attempting to ‘sell’ former President Barack Obama’s …

The Hill reports: House Republicans in the Illinois delegation are calling for President Trump to not commute the prison sentence of former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is serving 14 years on federal corruption charges. The push comes in the wake of Trump telling reporters Wednesday he was “very strongly” considering commuting the sentence of the former Celebrity Apprentice …

The New York Times reports: President Trump said on Wednesday night that he was “strongly considering” commuting the 14-year prison sentence of Rod R. Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor who was convicted of trying to essentially sell President Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat for personal gain. In remarks aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump described the incriminating phone call in …

The Chicago Tribune reports: The U.S. Supreme Court has for the second time rejected an appeal by imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his convictions on corruption charges. The justices did not comment Monday in letting stand the convictions and 14-year prison term that Blagojevich is serving. He’s scheduled to be released in 2024. His convictions included trying to extort …

Rep. Mark Kirk used to have an OK record on LGBT rights for a Republican, having voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and for ENDA in 2007. But then he voted against the repeal of DADT. And since under Illinois law he will be seated in the Senate tomorrow, that means one more vote against repealing DADT should …

Blagojevich appointee Sen. Roland Burris says he won’t run for his seat in 2010. Burris decision appears to have been based at least in part on the fact that he has not been able to raise money for an election campaign. As of March 31st, reports CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris, Burris had raised only $845 and had $111,031 …

Ever since Blago appointee Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) admitted this week that he tried to raise money for the disgraced former governor in a quid pro quo for his seat, there have been calls for him to resign. Today both the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune posted editorials demanding his resignation over having perjured himself when asked about Blago. …

Blago: I’ve been wanting to be on your show in the worst way!Letterman: Well, you are on in the worst way. I love that the band played Blago in with My Way.

Rod Blagojevich and his hair brush were unanimously booted out of office yesterday by the Illinois senate in a 59-0 vote. Gov. Rod Blagojevich was thrown out of office Thursday without a single lawmaker coming to his defense, brought down by a government-for-sale scandal that stretched from Chicago to Capitol Hill and turned the foul-mouthed politician into a national punchline. …

After the spectacle of being turned away at the Capitol Building last week, Roland Burris will be granted his seat as the junior Senator from Illinois. “The Secretary of the Senate has determined that the new credentials presented today on behalf of Mr. Burris now satisfy Senate rules and validate his appointment to the vacant Illinois Senate seat,” read a …

Other captions welcome. Tipped by JMG reader Ned.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached by the state legislature today by a vote of 141-1. The measure only needed 60 votes to pass. Legislators accused the second-term Democratic governor of letting down the people of Illinois by letting ego and ambition drive his decisions. “It’s our duty to clean up the mess and stop the freak show that’s become …

Roland Burris, former Attorney General for Illinois and disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pick to replace Barack Obama in the Senate, was turned away today from his Senate swearing in ceremony. Senate officials this morning rejected Roland Burris’s effort to be seated as the successor to President-elect Barack Obama, telling the former Illinois attorney general that he lacked the requisite approval …

Disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is somehow barreling forward and will today name Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. But the pick may not stick. The action comes despite warnings by Democratic Senate leaders that they would not seat anyone appointed by the disgraced governor who faces criminal charges of trying to sell …

Via HuffPo: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich defiantly proclaimed his innocence Friday and said that he will not let a “political lynch mob” force him to resign. “I will fight. I will fight. I will fight until I take my last breath,” Blagojevich said in his first official statement since being arrested last week on federal corruption charges. “And I’m not …