Who is Rod Blagojevich, why did Donald Trump pardon him, and what’s his connection to Barack Obama?

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ET OnlineLast Updated: Feb 11, 2025, 05:39:00 PM IST

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Synopsis

Former President Trump has granted a complete pardon to Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted for corruption in 2011, including attempting to sell Obama's Senate seat. Trump's decision has sparked mixed reactions, with some viewing it as excessive leniency and others seeing it as a correction of an unfair sentence.

Former President Donald Trump has issued a complete pardon to Rod Blagojevich, who previously served as the Democratic governor of Illinois. Blagojevich received his conviction in 2011 for several corruption charges, including an attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat that Barack Obama vacated following his 2008 presidential victory. This pardon follows Trump's 2020 decision to commute Blagojevich's 14-year prison term, allowing his release after eight years.

Following Barack Obama's election as president in December 2008, his Illinois Senate position became available. As governor, Blagojevich possessed the authority to name a replacement. Federal agents monitoring Blagojevich recorded him discussing ways to profit from the appointment. He notably described the seat as "f-ing golden", highlighting its worth. Investigators claimed Blagojevich sought various benefits in exchange for the appointment.

Obama and his staff faced no implications in this affair, though it affected his administration's early period. Internal reviews confirmed no inappropriate communications between Obama's team and Blagojevich.

Blagojevich's association with Trump began during his 2010 participation in "The Celebrity Apprentice", Trump's television programme. Despite his early elimination, this link proved significant later. Trump commuted his sentence in 2020, describing it as unfair. Trump remarked, "I've watched him. He was set up by a lot of bad people, some of the same people I had to deal with."

After his release, Blagojevich showed deep appreciation to Trump, calling himself a "Trumpocrat". He continued to assert his innocence, claiming victimisation by politicised justice.

Illinois has experienced significant political corruption. Blagojevich became the fourth governor imprisoned, following Otto Kerner, Dan Walker, and George Ryan. This corruption pattern has affected the state's various governmental levels for years.

Trump's pardon of Blagojevich has generated diverse responses. Supporters consider his original sentence excessive, whilst critics argue the pardon weakens anti-corruption efforts and might encourage official misconduct.

Legal authorities note that presidential pardons remove legal consequences but do not establish innocence. The pardon does not affect Blagojevich's disbarment or his ban from Illinois state office.

As Blagojevich returns to public life, discussions persist regarding his pardon's significance and its effects on justice and political responsibility in Illinois and nationally.

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