The appellate court, however, upheld charges against Blagojevich related to accusations he tried to extract cash from then-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., in exchange for the senate appointment as well as other efforts by the governor to get paid for official acts.
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The decision appeared to stun Blagojevich, who was looking on by closed-circuit television from a federal prison in Colorado.
The ruling was heartbreaking for Blagojevich’s two daughters who were heard crying in the courtroom.
Blagojevich was sent to prison in 2012 for trying to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant when Barack Obama became president.
Months later he would formally plead not guilty to the 16 felony counts brought against him by a grand jury. He highlighted his work with fellow inmates.
Blagojevich’s attorney, Leonard C. Goodman, urged the judge to take a “fresh look” at the case. Blagojevich’s lawyer is vowing furthers appeals.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Riggs Bonamici said she doubts Blagojevich has been rehabilitated during his years behind bars because he hasn’t fully accepted responsibility.
Hair dyes are banned in prison, and his hair now is noticeably white.
The disgraced former governor was convicted in 2011 of a panoply of corruption charges, including 17 counts of bribery, wire fraud, attempted extortion, extortion conspiracy, and bribery conspiracy. They even pointed to how Blagojevich, an Elvis Presley fan, formed a prison band called “The Jailhouse Rockers”.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge James Zagel contained in court documents filed Monday, Patti Blagojevich wrote she is “pleading, indeed begging” that her husband be freed.
A resentencing hearing is scheduled Tuesday in Chicago federal court after an appeals court struck down five of his 18 convictions.
His wife said the family will continue to fight on his behalf, though she said she’s losing faith in the legal system.
The judge said he realized the suffering of Blagojevich’s family and applauded Blagojevich for being a model prisoner, but he said the former governor’s conduct in prison over the last 4 ½ years was not as big of a factor as the wrongdoing he committed while in office. Instead, with the 14-year term reaffirmed, his projected release date remains 2024, which includes two years’ credit for good behavior.
Blagojevich, 59, is four years into a 14-year sentence imposed after he was convicted of corruption in two separate trials. The group, which had a 21-song play list, dissolved after another inmate, the lead guitarist, was released. Deb Mell (33rd Ward), arrived at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago just after 10 a.m.
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The resentencing, where attendees could see Blagojevich on several screens around the courtroom, marked his first appearance in a public forum since entering prison.
