Trump Considering Commuting Convicted Gov's Sentence Because "Many" Politicians Have Sold Senate Seats

Donald Trump

Donald Trump told reporters during a flight on Air Force One he is considering giving former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich either a pardon or commutation of a 14-year prison sentence.

Blagojevich, a former "Apprentice" contestant (he didn't win), was convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat when he became president.

From the New York Times:

In remarks aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump described the incriminating phone call in which Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, was taped discussing selling the seat as mostly a minor offense and something “many” politicians have done.

The move is likely to face steep blowback, since Mr. Blagojevich’s crime has long been seen as the epitome of the kind of pay-to-play that Mr. Trump has claimed he wanted to stop when he took office.

“I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly; he was given close to 18 years in prison,” Mr. Trump said. “And a lot of people thought it was unfair, like a lot of other things — and it was the same gang, the Comey gang and all these sleaze bags that did it. And his name is Rod Blagojevich. And I’m thinking about commuting his sentence.”

Speaking on the plane on Wednesday, the president noted: “He’s been in jail for seven years over a phone call where nothing happens — over a phone call which he shouldn’t have said what he said, but it was braggadocio you would say. I would think that there have been many politicians — I’m not one of them by the way — that have said a lot worse over the telephone.”

The FBI recorded Blagojevich during a telephone call discussing plans to sell the Senate seat. “I’ve got this thing, and it’s f*cking golden," Blagojevich said during the recorded conversation. “I’m not just giving it up for nothing."

The Times reports that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is supportive of the commutation and apparently thinks it will be 'popular' with Democrats.

It's important to note that Blagojevich's case was handled by former FBI Director James Comey and Robert Mueller. With that in mind, it's easy to see this as a big f*ck you to the two men Trump despises.

Here's the transcript of Trump's remarks on a commutation for Blagojevich. He pointedly noted that "the Comey gang," "sleazebags," put Blagojevich behind bars. (Mueller was FBI director, Comey friend and legal-team member Patrick Fitzgerald was prosecutor, Comey was deputy AG.) pic.twitter.com/sGbvR0lwP3

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 8, 2019