Rod Blagojevich is released from prison

When our former governor was impeached and removed from office I was all over this back then. So I hope you'll indulge this blast from the past.

As a result of his activities while governor which helped get him impeached he was sent to federal prison were he served close to 8 years until President Donald Trump granted Blagojevich a commutation of his federal sentence.

After more than one false alarm raised and dashed the hopes of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, President Donald Trump finally answered his pleas and commuted Blagojevich’s 14-year prison term Tuesday, springing the Chicago Democrat from prison more than four years early and writing a stunning new chapter to one of the state’s most notorious corruption cases.

The federal Bureau of Prisons released a statement after 7 p.m. saying that Blagojevich “is no longer in the custody” of the agency and was released from a prison in Colorado.

The controversial move came more than a year after Trump first revealed he was considering ending Blagojevich’s time behind bars, saying he believed Illinois’ 40th governor had been treated unfairly.

“Yes, we commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich,” Trump said in Maryland on Tuesday. "He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person — don’t know him.”

As an aside, it was mentioned by many out there that after his removal from office Blagojevich was a participant on Celebrity Apprentice and certainly that occurred before he served his sentence for corruption in federal prison.

I wonder if his time in prison caused him to think about what got him there. I wonder if he plans a political comeback although in early 2009 the state Senate also voted to bar the former governor from running for any office in Illinois. I don't know if that includes running for a federal office such as a member of the US House of Representatives where he was a former member.

Either way I believe this AP video was circulated among Illinois bloggers when he was arrested by the FBI years ago. Blagojevich was still governor and was going to work as usual and we get a glimpse of his two young daughters. Surely this whole episode took its toll on his daughters and his wife Patti. [VIDEO]

Capitol Fax: President Trump “I’m thinking about commuting [Rod Blagojevich’s] sentence very strongly”

While Rich Miller is actually on break right now he's been following the major news stories affecting Illinois. I felt the need to mention this since we did follow Blagojevich's impeachment and removal from the office of Governor.

Who knows how popular this might be for most of you, but would you be OK with President Trump possibly commuting Blagojevich's federal sentence for corruption?

President Trump “I’m thinking about commuting [Rod Blagojevich’s] sentence very strongly” https://t.co/kmGHKpMiSP

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) August 8, 2019

10 years ago the FBI arrested a sitting Illinois Governor

We're going back to something we covered over a decade ago on this blog. We also followed some of the ensuing consequences of what happened with this story.

 

This was on the CapFax on Tuesday. We're approaching the 10 year anniversary where Rod Blagojevich was arrested by the feds. In this post, we see an article from Chicago Magazine where we see the thoughts of the two FBI agents who came to arrest Blago.

Blagojevich after arrest: “How does my hair look?” https://t.co/ma1zZHkftF

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) December 4, 2018

Here's the most incredulous part of this:

After a couple of minutes, Dan knocked on the door and told Blagojevich that we needed to go. He came out with a toothbrush in his mouth. We repeated that he needed to get dressed right away and come with us.

The governor picked out a blue Nike jogging suit, white socks, and running shoes to wear. As we prepared to leave, he turned and asked: “How does my hair look?”

“You look fine,” we told him, astonished by the question. It was as if he were preparing for a press conference. As we brought him downstairs, his daughters remained asleep, for which we were grateful. You never want a child to witness a parent being arrested.

I appreciate the consideration of the FBI agents on the scene. While I know Blago still has his supporterss, how selfish to put his own daughters into this situation.

Ultimately he would be impeached by the Illinois House of Representatives and removed from office in a impeachment trail by the Illinois Senate. Later he was convicted on corruption charges in federal court and is currently serving his 14-year sentence.

A blast from almost 10 years ago...

Legal Insurrection

A few years ago we got an email from the blogger at Legal Insurrection. It was during the time that I made several posts about what was going on with our then Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2008-09. In December 2008, Blago was arrested by the FBI on the charge of attempting to auction off the former US Senate seat of then President-elect Barack Obama. In January 2009, Blago had been impeached and removed from office.

I had written a number of posts during the episode about Blago's arrest and impeachment during that time. Also some posts about potholes caught the eye of law professor William A. Jacobson. As you see in the post about his e-mail which I never actually published back then he wrote as a descriptor of this blog in a list of sites regarding that long ago scandal that it was obsessed with Blago and potholes. Heh.

Anyway 10 years later, he celebrates a decade of blogging and this blog celebrated a decade of blogging last year. Blago is actually serving a term in federal prison for his crimes that got him arrested while serving as governor in 2008. Prof. Jacobson as a blogger has seemingly become a right-wing blog over the years.

However, when he was following news about Blago it seemed that he was taking our former governor's side in that. If I recall he seemed to think the federal government was out to get Blago. I'm sure there are those who including myself who wonder how he came to that. Perhaps as I could reason today it was a genius move to play advocate for Blago. At that time did we need one more blog that would dump on him?

While I'm sure Legal Insurrection has gone on to bigger and better things or better yet other news of note over 10 years I would like to wish him another 10 years. As he tells his story of how he started blogging it was a dare from a friend he even wasn't political. Sorry to say part of him starting to blog involved his frustration with "Obamamania".

He was inspired to blog by a friend thanks to his ability to make very clear points. Almost a year before that this blog was inspired by many of the local neighborhood blogs that had existed just in time for the 2007 municipal elections in Chicago. And as Jacobson's blog presumably gears up for the 2018 midterms, I expect this blog will gear up for the 2019 municipal elections not only for Alderman, but for the open seat for Mayor of Chicago as well.

h/t Instapundit!

More Pritzker damage control

Today the CapFax has another round-up on the racial remarks made by Democrat gubernatorial hopefully J.B. Pritzker. Clearly his comments regarding Emil Jones Jr. and Jesse White or even Jesse Jackson Jr. and using the term crass or safe to refer to certain Black politicos aren't going away. Let me remind you those comments were made on long ago wiretaps in 2008 with then governor Rod Blagojevich.

Refer to tweet below and head over the Capitol Fax

Attacks keep coming as Pritzker tries to rebound with apologies, promises of inclusion https://t.co/YnvlDWDZ6H

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) February 9, 2018

Meanwhile the man whom Pritzker hopes to face in November Gov. Bruce Rauner has released another ad. It doesn't refer to those crass or safe Blacks. It doesn't even have Pritzker's voice on it as the earlier ads. However, one reason Blago is in prison today is because he attempted to auction off President Obama's old US Senate seat.

Apparently Blago claimed that Pritzker wanted to be appointed to Obama's senate seat. The asking price is raising $10 or $15 million dollars for Blagojevich! I wish I knew with whom the former Governor was thinking speaking out loud with. The ad is below. [VIDEO]

h/t to ad from Illinois Review.

And through this ad there's a website for other wiretaps pritzkerblago.com. It's clear that Rauner in order to increase the odds of his re-election as Governor, wants to muddy the waters around Pritzker who is as wealthy as Rauner.

Related

• Capitol Fax: Pritzker hit from all sides
• Capitol Fax: Emil Jones explodes at Pritzker, “safe blacks”; Bishop Trotter disinvites; Staffer quits

Capitol Fax: Pritzker hit from all sides

J.B. Pritzker was caught on long ago wiretaps with former Governor Rod Blagojevich - for those of you that don't remember he had been arrested while governor and then removed from office trying to sell President Obama's old US Senate seat to the highest bidder - you may have heard some of them. These wiretaps were used in ads by our current Governor Bruce Rauner.

The 2008 wiretaps there weren't used in the ad had been released by the Tribune has caused controversy. The problem - JB Pritzker was talking about "safe" Blacks or "crass" Blacks. Unfortunately those long ago comments has engendered a strong reaction by many Black politicos in Chicago.

Pritzker is a wealthy man - his family got rich off of a hotel chain perhaps you heard of them Hyatt. He was poised to be the front runner to run against another wealthy man who just so happens to be the current governor until this current drama starting hitting the news. Here's the latest round-up that you will find on the Capitol Fax via this tweet:

Pritzker hit from all sides https://t.co/HxLuxI2hwc

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) February 8, 2018

All the same, it's safe to say Pritzker is on damage control said to be calling as many prominent Blacks as possible to apologize for these long ago comments. 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer was even forced to make a statement regarding these disappoint comments though it's safe to say for now that Ald. Sawyer will remain behind Pritzker.

The Governor was in the neighborhood again!!!

Actually he was at the WVON-AM studios with Mike Parker of WBBM-TV outside the studios to offer his report of his radio appearance there on Friday.

Friday was a busy day. He was already on WLS and he had a press conference in the afternoon. Then not too long after that he found his was to 87th Street to rap with Cliff Kelly on WVON-AM. Of course the significance of this appearance is the WVON is a black-owned radio station with a sizeable black audience. Most of the calls during the Governor's segment were generally in support of him.

You want to see about his earlier press conference go here to the CapFax.

Also Ed Genson who largely represented the Governor during last month's impeachment hearings in the state House has cut ties to the Governor. In ending his professional relationship with the Governor he said that the Governor wouldn't listen to Genson's advice.