A federal judge on Tuesday upheld Rod Blagojevich’s 14-year prison sentence on corruption counts, setting aside pleas for leniency by the former IL governor’s wife and daughters during his resentencing hearing.
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Blagojevich was taken into federal custody in December 2008, less than two years into his second term as governor. This time, they expected it would be less, perhaps as little as five years, which would mean he’d likely be released later this year.
A somber, contrite Blagojevich spoke for 20 minutes in a sometimes apologetic, sometimes rambling statement before U.S. District Judge James Zagel announced the sentence, telling the court he understood he made mistakes.
Despite the reduced conviction count, and though he praised Blagojevich for being a model prisoner at a correctional facility in Colorado, Zagel emphasized that the former politician was still guilty of numerous corruption charges – and said he needed to pay accordingly.
Blagojevich became the second consecutive IL governor convicted of corruption.
The judges didn’t say Blagojevich was necessarily entitled to a lower sentence than the one imposed on December 7, 2011, given “overwhelming” evidence on the remaining felonies.
“Please give Annie the chance for a normal happy childhood, that has slipped away from Amy”, Patti Blagojevich wrote in the letter.
He said his time behind bars “has put me closer to God”.
She says she finds the judge’s decision to uphold her husband’s 14-year sentence “unusually cruel and heartless and unfair”. As the hearing came to an end, he shook his head and brushed his mouth with his hand as he collapsed back into his seat, saying something inaudible.
Blagojevich’s lawyers hoped the judge would reduce his sentence to five years in light of the overturned convictions and his good behavior in prison.
Later, in the courthouse lobby, Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, told reporters: “Quite frankly, I’m dumbfounded and flabbergasted” that he received the same sentence.
Blagojevich was sent to prison in 2012 for trying to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant when Barack Obama became president. The following March he reported to a Colorado prison.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previous year tossed convictions tied to Blagojevich’s bid to win a White House appointment for appointing someone to Obama’s Senate seat.
Earlier this year, though, the U.S.
Zagel said he was sympathetic to the Blagojevich family, but that he remained convinced the length of the sentence was appropriate.
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In making his decision Zagel said “these are serious crimes that had an impact on the people of IL”.
