A resentencing hearing is scheduled Tuesday in Chicago federal court after an appeals court struck down five of his 18 convictions.
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He wore his prison jumpsuit and had a head full of gray hair. “I’ve made many mistakes”, he said via a closed-circuit television feed from his prison in Colorado.
At the time of his arrest, prosecutors said court-authorized wiretaps caught Blagojevich offering Obama’s Senate seat in exchange for personal gain, including a job with a nonprofit or union organization, corporate board posts for his wife, campaign contributions or a post in Obama’s administration. “Too many battles that have been fought in court I fought in public”.
Blagojevich offered to appoint Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to the vacant seat in exchange for appointing him to a Cabinet slot. She said their children have suffered enough.
The former IL governor thanked the judge for the chance to have his 14-year sentence reconsidered. He is hopeful that the judge will view the case differently, he said because the conviction involving the Obama senate seat has been overturned and what is left is purely about campaign fundraising.
“Once again, unfortunately, I have to express our profound disappointment in the rulings by Judge Zagel today”.
Prosecutors said Blagojevich’s corruption in the IL governor’s office further eroded the public’s trust.
Amy Blagojevich, also spoke in court, saying it was hard to stay connected with her dad or even to have private conversations with him during visits to prison.
Disgraced former Illinois Gov.
Blagojevich’s wife told reporters outside court that the resentencing was “cruel and heartless and unfair”.
“He’s my brother, I love him. I want to be here and see how he is”, he said outside the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. “He has never given up on us and we will never give up on him”. He said it’s brought him closer to God.
Zagel said he does not doubt Rod Blagojevich cares about his family, but said the fault for his crimes lies with the former governor. “Is that what we’re really supposed to expect out of our society”. “Blagojevich is the only one in modern history in prison for breaking the rules of political fundraising”.
Blagojevich’s attorney, Leonard C. Goodman, told the judge that “the arrogance and anger are no longer present in this man” and that he’s “been a model inmate”.
A federal appeals court ordered the resentencing previous year after dismissing some of the counts on which Blagojevich was convicted. He reads the Bible every night, they said. The group, which had a 21-song play list, dissolved after the lead guitarist was released.
Lawyers also submitted more than 100 letters from prisoners, some of whom referred to Blagojevich as “The Gov”. When Zagel walked into the courtroom, Blagojevich grew serious, looked at the camera and listened to what the judge had to say.
The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down five of his 18 convictions previous year, after the three-judge panel found some charges to be unfounded.
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Calls for leniency have been a tough sells to Zagel, a no-nonsense judge who berated Blagojevich at the 2011 sentencing.
