President Donald Trump says he’s “very strongly” considering using his executive powers to commute the sentence of someone that no one saw coming — and said former FBI Director James Comey for treating the felon unfairly.
Trump said he might order former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a corrupt Democrat who is serving a 14-year prison term for multiple federal corruption convictions, to go free.
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Trump suggested he was “strongly considering” the commutation for Blagojevich on Thursday. The former governor filed paperwork requesting one earlier this year.
The Republican president told reporters Wednesday night while returning to Washington that he thought Blagojevich had been treated “unbelievably unfairly.”
“I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly; he was given close to 18 years in prison,” 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 sleazebags that did it.”
Trump says he’s taking into consideration Blagojevich’s wife and children and what was, in his view, mere braggadocio.
“I’m thinking about commuting his sentence. He’s been in jail for seven years over a phone call where nothing happens,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “But over a phone, where nothing happens. But over a phone call which, you know, he shouldn’t have said what he said… but it was braggadocio, you could say.”
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”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 telephones,” the president continued. “And I watched his wife on television saying that the young girl’s father has been in jail for, now, seven years and they’ve never seen him outside of an orange uniform,” Trump continued, referring to Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, and daughters, Amy and Annie. “His wife I think is fantastic and I’m thinking about commuting his sentence very strongly. I think it’s enough, seven years.”
Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, reacted by tweeting –
Our President's comments on Air Force One last night make us very hopeful that our almost 11 year nightmare might soon be over. We are very grateful.
For press inquires please contact Mark Vargas -202-878-1715, @markavargas .
— Patti Blagojevich (@pblagojevich) August 8, 2019
Rev. Jesse Jackson has also appealed to Trump to commute the sentence.
“Blagojevich, who served as Illinois governor from 2003 until his impeachment and removal from office in 2009, was sentenced to 14 years on federal corruption charges after his December 2011 conviction,” The Chicago Tribune reported.
[Sponsored] Man Complaining of Headaches Had Shocking Object Inside His Head“Blagojevich was convicted of attempting to use his office to personally benefit, offering the former U.S. Senate seat of then-President-elect Barack Obama for barter, but also for trying to use his official office to gain a prosperous job or gain campaign funds in exchange for his actions,” The Tribune said.
Trump said he became concerned about Blagojevich after his wife, Patti, made an appeal on Fox News.
“I’m very impressed with his family. I’m very impressed with his wife,” Trump said. “I mean, she has lived for this. She’s one hell of a woman. She goes on [Fox] and she makes her case. And it’s, it’s really very sad.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this article