Trump Commutes Sentence Of Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich

[GMDino]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-commutes-rod-blagojevichs-sentence-and-pardons-bernard-kerik/

Quote:The prosecutors who helped convicted Blagojevich issued a stern statement in response to the commutation, noting that while the president has to the right to commute his sentence, the former governor committed serious crimes. The prosecuting team reminded the public that the former governor extorted the CEO of a children's hospital, withholding funds for sick children until he issued campaign contributions. 


"The law and extensive facts underlying Mr. Blagojevich's conviction were reviewed by independent judges on an appellate court and by the Supreme Court of the United States," said Reid J. Schar, Chris Niewoehner, Judge Carrie E. Hamilton and Patrick J. Fitzgerald in a statement. "These courts affirmed Mr. Blagojevich's conviction and sentence, and the appellate court described the evidence against him as 'overwhelming.'"

"Extortion by a public official is a very serious crime, routinely prosecuted throughout the United States whenever, as here, it can be detected and proven," they continued. "That has to be the case in America: a justice system must hold public officials accountable for corruption. It would be unfair to their victims and the public to do otherwise. While the president has the power to reduce Mr. Blagojevich's sentence, the fact remains that the former governor was convicted of very serious crimes. His prosecution serves as proof that elected officials who betray those they are elected to serve will be held to account."

House Republicans from Illinois issued a joint statement expressing disappointment with the commutation, calling Blavojevich the "face of public corruption."

"We are disappointed by the president's commutation of Rod Blagojevich's federal sentence," they said in a joint statement. "We believe he received an appropriate and fair sentence, which was the low-end of the federal sentencing guidelines for the gravity of his public corruption convictions. Blagojevich is the face of public corruption in Illinois, and not once has he shown any remorse for his clear and documented record of egregious crimes that undermined the trust placed in him by voters. As our state continues to grapple with political corruption, we shouldn't let those who breached the public trust off the hook. History will not judge Rod Blagojevich well."