the commuter
Trump says he might commute Rod Blagojevich's prison sentence: 'He was treated unbelievably unfairly'
President Trump is considering commuting the prison sentence of Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor who was convicted on 18 corruption charges after trying to sell a Senate seat, maintaining that he was treated "unbelievably unfairly," The New York Times reports.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One late on Wednesday that he is "strongly considering" this move, with two sources telling the Times the president this week made plans to commute Blagojevich's sentence.
"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," Trump said, per the Times. "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."
Blagojevich was recorded saying of the Senate seat that former President Obama was set to vacate upon being elected, "I've got this thing, and it's f--ing golden. I'm just not giving it up for f--ing nothing." He was subsequently impeached and convicted on multiple corruption charges receiving a 14-year prison sentence. Blagojevich in 2010 was a contestant on Trump's show The Celebrity Apprentice; Trump fired him after four weeks.
"His wife, I think, is fantastic and I’m thinking about commuting his sentence very strongly," Trump said. "I think it’s enough, seven years." The Times reports that although this idea has long been discussed in the administration, with Jared Kushner even suggesting a full pardon, "aides have hoped to keep Mr. Trump from announcing such a move for as long as possible."