Patterico's Pontifications

8/8/2019

Trump To Commute Rod Blagojevich’s Sentence? UPDATE BY PATTERICO

Filed under: General — Dana @ 6:00 am



[guest post by Dana]

Per Maggie Haberman, that’s the word on AF1:

TRUMP confirms to pool on AF1 what two sources have said has been discussed for days – that he’s likely to commute Rod Blagojevich’s sentence.

“I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly; he was given close to 18 years in prison. 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 sleazebags that did it. And his name is Rod Blagojevich.”

Per administration officials, BLAGO – another person with an Apprentice connection – has been pushed for a pardon by Trump’s son-in-law, Kushner. Aides got Trump to agree to a commutation instead.

Blagojevich was impeached, convicted, and removed from office in 2009. Here is a quick refresher on Blago’s fall:

December 9, 2008 – Is taken into federal custody on corruption charges. He is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, are accused of “conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits” by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a US senator to replace US President-elect Barack Obama.

December 30, 2008 – Blagojevich appoints former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by Obama.

January 9, 2009 – Illinois House of Representatives votes to impeach Blagojevich. The vote is 114-1.

January 26, 2009 – Impeachment hearings begin in the Illinois Senate. Balgojevich does not attend, choosing instead to appear on “Larry King Live,” “The View,” and “Good Morning America.”

January 29, 2009 – The Illinois Senate votes unanimously to remove Blagojevich and to bar him from holding political office in Illinois again.

April 2, 2009 – He is indicted on 16 felony counts by a federal grand jury.

April 14, 2009 – Blagojevich pleads not guilty.

2010 – Appears as a contestant on four episodes of the “Celebrity Apprentice” reality TV show.

June 3, 2010 – Blagojevich’s trial on corruption charges begins.

August 17, 2010 – The jury in Blagojevich’s trial returns its verdict after deliberating for 14 days. He is found guilty of making false statements to federal investigators. The jury is unable to come to a decision on 23 other counts.

February 24, 2011 – A federal judge drops three of 23 corruption charges against Blagojevich.

May 2, 2011 – Blagojevich’s retrial begins.

June 27, 2011 – The jury comes back with 17 guilty verdicts, one not guilty and two counts deadlocked.

July 25, 2011 – Blagojevich files a 158-page motion requesting an acquittal or a new trial, citing fundamentally unfair proceedings.

December 7, 2011 – Sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

And then there’s this surreal clip of Trump firing Blago from The Apprentice because he screwed up on a Harry Potter project:

–Dana

UPDATE BY PATTERICO: According to the New York Times:

Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser who has internally championed pardons and commutations, had suggested Mr. Blagojevich be pardoned, saying that it would appeal to Democrats, one of those people said.

If there’s anyone who has his finger on the pulse of Democrat preferences, it’s Jared Kushner, as this blast from the recent past confirms:

Four people familiar with the discussions confirmed to The Wall Street Journal Tuesday that Kushner pushed for Comey to be replaced.

One said Kushner and other top White House officials believed Comey was too unpredictable after his handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails. Another said Kushner thought Democrats would cheer Comey’s firing after his handling of the Clinton investigation and that FBI agents who were unhappy with his performance would also applaud the move.

“And then you could pardon my dad.”

30 Responses to “Trump To Commute Rod Blagojevich’s Sentence? UPDATE BY PATTERICO”

  1. Reality show.

    Dana (fdf131)

  2. “I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly; he was given close to 18 years in prison. 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 sleazebags that did it. And his name is Rod Blagojevich.”

    Now it’s clear.

    1. He knows Blago.
    2. It’s an opportunity to ‘get back’ at Comey.

    17 counts of fraud. That seems like a lot of fraud. Any lawyers here want to weigh in on if 17 counts is a lot? Or is it a case of hitting him for the same act repeatedly on a technicality?

    Time123 (ae9d89)

  3. I’ve got this thing and it’s f____ golden. Reminder that congressmen see senate seats as a means to get stinking rich and nothing else. All of ’em. They’re all swampy, there is no non-swamp. They’re all on the take. They’re shltting over all of us. This is why Bernie is a thing. It’s why Trump is a thing too of course. I don’t think the swamp will be drained in my lifetime.

    JRH (52aed3)

  4. On one hand, Hillary Comey, and the whole gang look like they’ll skate over E-mail gate and leaking documents. And of course, that NJ US Senator that no one talks about, got let go on a technicality.

    So, why should Bogonavitch (sic) rot in jail. He’s served his time. Let him go and be the ethics adviser for the DNC. They have no ethics – so even a reformed crook would be a step up.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  5. Why does Illinois keep electing crooks and oddballs as their governor? Even the R’s are crooked.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  6. also Never read Harry Potter, couldn’t get through one chapter. If I want fantasy I’ll re-read LOTR. If I want kids’ fantasy I’ll read CS Lewis.

    JRH (52aed3)

  7. Heh. Pretty sure Trump never read Harry Potter either…

    Political corruption doesn’t seem to be something that Trump is concerned about. That certainly has a direct impact on any efforts to drain the swamp…

    Dana (fdf131)

  8. UPDATE BY PATTERICO: According to the New York Times:

    Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser who has internally championed pardons and commutations, had suggested Mr. Blagojevich be pardoned, saying that it would appeal to Democrats, one of those people said.

    If there’s anyone who has his finger on the pulse of Democrat preferences, it’s Jared Kushner, as this blast from the recent past confirms:

    Four people familiar with the discussions confirmed to The Wall Street Journal Tuesday that Kushner pushed for Comey to be replaced.

    One said Kushner and other top White House officials believed Comey was too unpredictable after his handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails. Another said Kushner thought Democrats would cheer Comey’s firing after his handling of the Clinton investigation and that FBI agents who were unhappy with his performance would also applaud the move.

    “And then you could pardon my dad.”

    Patterico (115b1f)

  9. Well only George Ryan who was selling contracts, Jim Thompson was on the board of hollinger and wasnt touch neither was Kissinger, they didn’t know what was going on appparently

    Narciso (72d34b)

  10. Trump’s pardons and commutations up to now. Kushner’s name showed up another time:

    On May 15, Trump pardoned Patrick Nolan, the former Republican leader of California’s state assembly who pleaded guilty toracketeering in 1994 after being caught up in a corruption sting by the FBI.

    Nolan is friends with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who spearheaded the White House’s push for the First Step Act to help reform the criminal-justice system.

    “Mr. Nolan’s experiences with prosecutors and in prison changed his life,” the White House said in a statement announcing his pardon. “Upon his release, he became a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform and victims’ rights. In fact, it was because of this work that the President learned of Mr. Nolan’s case.”

    DRJ (15874d)

  11. Harry Potter is worth a read, even if you have to push through a lot of kid-oriented nonsense. It deals with a good many adult-world themes: one major element is the dysfunction and corruption of government (the Ministry of Magic is a swamp very much in need of draining). It is probably one of the few fantasies in which money is realistically dealt with. It’s important who has money and who doesn’t, what things cost, and how people make money. It’s also intricately plotted. Until you get to the end of the last book, you won’t appreciate how every important theme in the series is presented in one way or another in the very first book.

    Kishnevi (49889c)

  12. Fitz was protecting Michigan state, while the bureau wasnt investigating Larry nassar, when they had plenty of cause.

    Narciso (72d34b)

  13. I would have been angry if Obama pardoned Blagovv

    I will be angry if Trump pardons him.

    Nathan (5efffe)

  14. 13: me too: let the crooked pols serve their time

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  15. So, why should Bogonavitch (sic) rot in jail. He’s served his time.

    Not yet he hasn’t. He was sentenced to 14 years which should take him through to 2025. Hence the idea of commutation.

    There’s an argument to be made that a sleazy politician who is ineligible to run for office again and hopefully is too toxic to be employed by anyone of substance isn’t doing the taxpayer any good sitting in jail on the taxpayer dime when that prison cell* could be used for a violent criminal. But why Trump would choose Blagojevich as the person deserving of his mercy is beyond me.

    ———-
    * Fun fact: Blago was held at a prison in Colorado just across the road from where my cousin’s kids attended school.

    JVW (54fd0b)

  16. I would have been angry if Obama pardoned Blagovv

    If you wanted to make a case for a commutation of sentence, former Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham who was sentenced to prison for accepting bribes (just like Blago!) is a far better candidate. He at least was a veteran and a legitimate war hero, and he went to jail at age 65 while suffering from prostate cancer. Cunningham served seven years of an eight-year sentence before being paroled, and it would seem that neither George W. Bush nor Barack Obama considered commuting his sentence.

    JVW (54fd0b)

  17. He’s been in jail since 2011. That enough Jail time for being a crooked Illinois Gov. After all, they seem to like corruption and crookedness. If they didn’t they wouldn’t keep electing Crooks. In California you can steal the state blind, and no one cares, as long as you have D after your name.

    The only things that matters is (1) Do you hate Trump and (2) are you a D. I bet Willie Brown stole more Money than Blogovic ever tried to do. And how did the Mayor of Chicago get so rich?

    rcocean (1a839e)

  18. Illinois should just pass a law. “No ethics required for public office”.

    Just make the unofficial – Official.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  19. Instead of pardoning Blog, Trump should pardon a Commie like the Alger Hiss. that should blow their minds.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  20. To you and I, Blago’s a bottom-feeding crook; but to Donald Trump, he’s a role model.

    Dave (9c5fe2)

  21. 20: But you vote for people like him all the time….

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  22. 19: God no, then we have to listen to his son claim triumphantly that Hiss was innocent after all.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  23. But you vote for people like him all the time….

    Please post falsehoods about me.

    I have never voted for anyone convicted of fraud or bribery.

    Dave (1bb933)

  24. Please *don’t…duh

    Dave (1bb933)

  25. @22 I thought his son was doing that anyway.

    rcocean (1a839e)

  26. Aren’t the Rosenberg kids STILL asserting their parents were innocent, despite Verona & Soviet archives showing they were completely guilty?

    rcocean (1a839e)

  27. Too bad about TG…I believe DCSCA about the Haley gambit to a point, I think its a tactical feint for the Dems to respond to by slotting Gabbard for VP, which will alienate those waiting for Harris, Booker or dark horse Jeh Johnson, with Trump still replacing Pence…but with Carson.

    urbanleftbehind (15a3e9)

  28. Wrong post. Belongs in breaking news.

    urbanleftbehind (15a3e9)

  29. Trump should stop the railroading of Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins. It’s clear their constituents still want their representation, since they were both reelected. Failure to pardon these congressmen will only further reduce the number of Republicans in the House and increase Pelosi’s power.

    Rip Murdock (d6b59b)

  30. On one hand, Hillary Comey, and the whole gang look like they’ll skate over E-mail gate and leaking documents. And of course, that NJ US Senator that no one talks about, got let go on a technicality.

    So, why should Bogonavitch (sic) rot in jail. He’s served his time. Let him go and be the ethics adviser for the DNC. They have no ethics – so even a reformed crook would be a step up.

    rcocean (1a839e) — 8/8/2019 @ 7:24 am

    Which NJ Senator? We have at least 2 that were let free on a technicality and a former leftist Governor too.

    NJRob (4d595c)


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