On Monday, President Donald Trump pardoned former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who had been imprisoned on corruption charges related to his time in office.
During the signing of the pardon in the Oval Office, Trump referred to Blagojevich as a “very fine person” and stated that it was time to allow him to “have a normal life.”
Trump called the conviction a “terrible injustice,” claiming Blagojevich was unfairly targeted.
He further criticized those responsible, saying, “These are bad people, the other side.”
Blagojevich, who served as Illinois’ Democratic governor from 2003 to 2009, was removed from office and convicted on charges related to an attempt to sell the Senate seat vacated by then-President Barack Obama.
His first trial ended with a hung jury on key charges, but a second trial led to his conviction on 17 of 20 corruption counts in 2011.
Blagojevich served eight years of a 14-year sentence before Trump commuted his sentence in early 2020.
This decision faced opposition from some conservatives and White House advisers, who argued it would undermine Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp.” At the time, Trump described Blagojevich as a “very nice person” and criticized the length of his prison sentence.
Following his release, Blagojevich became a strong supporter of Trump, endorsing his 2020 and 2024 campaigns.
He later identified himself as a “Trumpocrat,” a Democrat who backs Trump. Additionally, Blagojevich appeared on Trump’s TV show The Celebrity Apprentice in 2010, after being removed from office but before his trial.
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