On Monday, President Donald Trump issued a pardon to Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor whose 14-year corruption sentence he commuted five years ago during his first term in office. Blagojevich, a Democrat, was removed from office in 2009 and later convicted for attempting to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama after his 2008 presidential win.
Trump defended his decision, calling the case “a terrible injustice” and criticizing what he described as political persecution. “They just went after him, and they go after a lot of people. These are bad people on the other side,” Trump said while signing the pardon in the Oval Office.
The president expressed his belief in Blagojevich’s character, stating, “I think he’s a very fine person, and this shouldn’t have happened.” When asked about reports suggesting Blagojevich could be considered for the position of U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, Trump responded, “No, but I would. He’s now cleaner than anybody in this room.”
Trump’s decision to release Blagojevich was seen as controversial when he commuted the sentence in 2020. At that time, Trump had mentioned their past connection through the reality show The Apprentice, noting that Blagojevich “seemed like a very nice person,” though he admitted he didn’t know him well. He added, “He served eight years in jail. He had a long time to go. Many people disagree with the sentence.”
Since taking office again on January 20, Trump has used his presidential pardon powers several times. On his first day back in the White House, he pardoned about 1,500 people involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. He has also granted clemency to two dozen anti-abortion activists and Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road online marketplace, known for facilitating illicit drug sales.
