Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 19 February 2020

Continued from front gaged in common politi- said. "We are looking at it."
He was convicted in 2011 cal horse-trading and was Blagojevich's first trial end-
of crimes that included a victim of an overzeal- ed with the jury unable to
seeking to sell an appoint- ous U.S. attorney, Patrick reach a verdict, except for
ment to Barack Obama's Fitzgerald. After Blagojev- a single conviction, for lying
old Senate seat and trying ich's arrest, Fitzgerald said to the FBI.
to shake down a children's the governor had gone on At his second trial in 2011,
hospital. "a political corruption crime Blagojevich testified, de-
Trump had said repeatedly spree" that would make scribing himself as a flawed
in recent years that he was Abraham Lincoln turn over dreamer grounded in his
considering taking execu- in his grave. parents' working-class val-
tive action in Blagojevich's A joint statement from ues. He sought to humanize
case, only to back away Fitzgerald and the lead himself to counteract the
from the idea. prosecutors at Blagojev- seemingly greedy governor
One of Blagojevich lawyers ich's trial, none of whom heard on wiretap record-
said she refused to believe Ziff Sistrunk of Chicago places a sign of support in front of the work in the Chicago U.S. ings played in court. He
home of Patti Blagojevich, wife of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blago-
it at first when word of her jevich, in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago Tuesday, Attorney's Office anymore, said the hours of FBI record-
client's possible release be- Feb. 18, 2020. stopped short of criticizing ings were the ramblings of
gan to spread, fearing that Associated Press Trump's decision. But they a politician who liked to
the president might not fol- highlighted the convic- think out loud.
low through. mer New York Police Com- husband is home. tions, including for trying to He was convicted on 18
"When it became obvious missioner Bernie Kerik, who "The kids are overjoyed and shake down the children's counts. The 7th U.S. Circuit
it was real, I got tears in my served just over three years Patti's ecstatic," Mell said. hospital, saying, "Mr. Blago- Court of Appeals in Chica-
eyes," said Lauren Kaes- for tax fraud and lying to the Blagojevich's conviction jevich remains a felon." go in 2015 tossed out five of
berg. "It was overwhelm- White House while being in- was notable, even in a Mueller — a subject of the convictions, including
ing." terviewed to be Homeland state where four of the last Trump's derision — was FBI ones in which he offered
Others in Illinois, including Security secretary. 10 governors have gone director during the inves- to appoint someone to a
the governor, said setting The Illinois House in Janu- to prison for corruption. tigation into Blagojevich. high-paying job in the Sen-
Blagojevich free was a mis- ary 2009 voted 114-1 to Judge James Zagel — who Fitzgerald is now a private ate.
take. impeach Blagojevich, and sentenced Blagojevich attorney for another former The appeals court or-
Trump "has abused his par- the state Senate voted to the longest prison term FBI director, James Com- dered the trial judge to
don power in inexplicable unanimously to remove yet for an Illinois politician ey, whom Trump dismissed resentence Blagojevich
ways to reward his friends him, making him the first Il- — said when a governor from the agency in May but suggested it would be
and condone corruption, linois governor in history to "goes bad, the fabric of Il- 2017. appropriate to hand him
and I deeply believe this be removed by lawmakers. linois is torn and disfigured." Trump expressed some the same sentence, given
pardon sends the wrong He entered prison in March After his Dec. 9, 2008, arrest sympathy for Blagojevich the gravity of the crimes.
message at the wrong 2012. while still governor, Blago- when he appeared on Blagojevich appeared via
time," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said After exhausting his last jevich became known "Celebrity Apprentice" in live video from prison dur-
in a written statement. appeal in 2018, Blagojev- for his foul-mouthed rants 2010, before his first cor- ing the 2016 resentencing
Many Republicans agreed. ich seemed destined to on wiretaps. On the most ruption trial started. When and asked for leniency.
"In a state where corrupt, remain behind bars until notorious recording, he Trump "fired" Blagojevich The judge gave him the
machine-style politics is still his projected 2024 release gushed about profiting by as a contestant, he praised same 14-year term, saying
all too common, it's impor- date. His wife, Patti, went naming someone to the him for how he was fight- it was below federal guide-
tant that those found guilty on a media blitz in 2018 to seat Obama vacated to ing his criminal case, telling lines when he imposed it
serve their prison sentence encourage Trump to step become president: "I've him, "You have a hell of a the first time. Blagojevich
in its entirety," said the the in, praising the president got this thing and it's f------ lot of guts." had once aspired to run
chairman of the Illinois and likening the investi- golden. And I'm just not giv- He later poll-tested the for president himself but
GOP, Tim Schneider. gation of her husband to ing it up for f------ nothing." matter, asking for a show entered the Federal Cor-
The White House cited sup- special prosecutor Robert When Trump publicly of hands of those who sup- rectional Institution Engle-
port from several Illinois- Mueller's probe into Russian broached the idea in May ported clemency at an wood in suburban Denver
based leaders, including meddling in the 2016 elec- 2018 of intervening to free October 2019 fundraiser at in 2012, disgraced and
the Rev. Jesse Jackson, as tion — a probe Trump long Blagojevich, he down- his Chicago hotel. Most of broke. Court documents
supporting Blagojevich's characterized as a "witch played the former gover- the 200 to 300 attendees filed by his lawyers in 2016
early release. More than hunt." nor's crimes. He said Blago- raised their hands, The Wall portrayed Blagojevich —
100 of his fellow inmates At Blagojevich's home, jevich was convicted for Street Journal reported, cit- known as brash in his days
also sent in letters of sup- his wife's sister, Deb Mell, "being stupid, saying things ing several people at the as governor — as humble
port. emerged onto the porch that every other politician, event. and self-effacing, as well as
Trump also granted clem- after a rideshare driver ar- you know, that many oth- On the same day, Trump an insightful life coach and
ency to financier Michael rived to deliver food. She er politicians say." He said told Chicago television sta- lecturer on everything from
Milken, who served two said the logistics of the for- Blagojevich's sentence was tion WLS that Blagojevich the Civil War to Richard
years in prison in the early mer governor's return were too harsh. should not abandon hope Nixon. Blagojevich, an El-
1990s after pleading guilty not complete and that Prosecutors have balked at of an early release. vis Presley fan, also formed
to violating U.S. securities Patti Blagojevich would not the notion long promoted "No, he should not at all a prison band called "The
laws, and pardoned for- speak to reporters until her by Blagojevich that he en- give up hope, at all," Trump Jailhouse Rockers."q