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Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years for corruption charges
[Updated at 1:33 p.m. ET] Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Blagojevich was also sentenced to pay a $20,000 fine.
The judge said he does not have report to prison for 90 days.
"I do accept his apology in his testimony, and I do believe he may regret the fate of others," Judge James Zagel said.
But that wasn't enough for the judge.
"It comes late," he said, of Blagojevich's accepting responsibility for his actions.
In announcing the sentence Judge James Zagel said Blagojevich's abuse of the governor's office "is more damaging than any other office in the U.S." besides the presidency.
Zagel noted that he did not resign as governor despite the indictments, but if he had it might have helped show he accepted responsibility.
The judge told Blagojevich that he had ruined the careers of a few people who worked for him. Zagel also questioned part of Blagojevich's accepting responsibility.
"Why did the thoughts of his children not weigh heavily on his reckless conduct?" Zagel said.
Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation applauded the sentence.
“The sentence handed down today represents a repayment of the debt that Blagojevich owes to the people of Illinois," he said. "While promising an open and honest administration, in reality, the former governor oversaw a comprehensive assault on the public’s trust."
[Posted at 1:03 p.m. ET] Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich apologized to his state, his family and the judge, saying he is "unbelievably sorry," during his sentencing hearing for corruption convictions Wednesday.
"I've had plenty of time to reflect on all that's happened," Blagojevich said. "I'm here convicted of crimes and I am accepting of it, acknowledge it."
Blagojevich, a Democrat, was accused of trying to profit as he considered whom to appoint to succeed Barack Obama when he vacated his Senate seat to move to the White House.
"There is a line between routine politics, horse trading and campaign politics," Blagojevich said. "I thought they were permissible and I was mistaken."
He was convicted of corruption in June after a jury returned 17 guilty verdicts against him.
Federal prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 15 to 20 years, but his lawyers have called that excessive and asked the judge for leniency on Tuesday, even as they admitted for the first time that crimes were committed.
FULL STORY
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is it just me or does he look like he is turning into a hobbit?
best comment i have ever heard.
He must be Frodo & the seat he tried to sell was like the ring! I knew Hobbits were conniving!
BILBO BAGGINS!
You are right, he does look like me.
"Zagel noted that he did not resign as governor despite the indictments, but if he had it might have helped show he accepted responsibility."
That was the part I thought was most hilarious. He just continued on as if nothing happened and everything was cool.
lol yup. my friends and i are from illinois and threw a kegger to celebrate him getting impeached. 🙂 it was a great day.
RAPIST DON'T EVEN GOT 14 YEARS
@ OMG: Isn't that messed up?!
Too much time. Is the judge just "setting an example"? That is not fair. He should be sentenced for the crime for which he was convicted-not to show other politicians what a Bad Ass Zagel is. Blago is just a doofus. He does not deserve all that time.
Making an example of someone while staying within sentencing guidelines is a perfectly valid way to put criminals on notice of the consequences of breaking the law. He got off easy - he could have gotten 20 years.
I agree. While gangster kids shoot other people who are INSIDE their homes on a regular basis in Chicago the government cracks down on big talker Blago. The streets are safe tonight. What BS. For all his bluster, no one was hurt.
You realize when you "destroy careers" that you ruin whole families right?
IMO, the seriousness of his crimes could very well warrant the death penalty. Placing US Senate seats on the open market has the potential to introduce very bad people into very powerful positions.
kinda like Obama? lol
Dude, you have some anger issues. Death penalty for political corruption? Death penalty for rapists and murders yes but for Blago? Think you should take some Zoloft
murray ( jacksons murderer) gets 4 years and we jail a non violent offender 14 years. And we call this American Justice. Give me a break. The legal system is as crooked as Ripley's believe it or not.
I don't agree with you 'Obama hating' policy.. but I do like your 'crooked politicians and prisons' policy.... Terwilliger '12
Are you absolutely sure about that?
The pedophile Jackson was not murdered. He payed a man to break the law for him and ended up overdosing. You have to have intent to kill for it to be murder and besides, one less pedophile in the world. Hopefully Sandusky and Jackson will have a wonderful time together very soon.
And selling a Senate seat could easily be likened to Treason and that IS punishable by death.
Lets hope its the first of many corrupt politians who FINALLY go to jail. Half the republican party and the Bush Family cabal needs to jlin him.
Funny, its about republicans now? George Ryan (R) got his, so did Blago. I agree that the sentence is fair. Whichever party you are on, conduct shady business at your own risk. He violated the whole state of Illinois, and being from Illinois, I'm tired of politicians making all of us look crooked.
Get over it already!!!! You all act like 3 year olds, they have been out off office for almost 4 years!!! GET OVER IT!!!!
Tell ya what, I will get over Bush and his cronies when the GOP gets over Reagan. Heck, they have already departed from Reagan's politics, now they just need to loos the name.
people do less time for manslaughter, way too harsh
The sentence is correct. He was a lawyer and he knew what he was doing was wrong. Insincere garbage just to stay out of jail obviously did not have any effect on the judge. That is as it should be. See ya. By the time you come out your little girls will be women and you will have missed a lot of their lives. You should have thought about -that- when you broke the law.
"The judge told Blagojevich that he had ruined the careers of a few people who worked for him."
REALLY?! I can name plenty CEOs who ruined the careers and lives of many due to their fraud, greed and theft who aren't answering to anyone. If this weren't so pathetic, it would be funny.
Right on. This is a travesty. No one was hurt by Blago for all his big talk and bluster. Put a tap on any politician and I'll bet most are doing the same F-ing thing he was. Who cares?
YOU are an IDIOT!!!!! Go put on your tin foil hat, you will feel better!!! LOL Making up crimes that have not been committed is pretty pathetic, maybe they are overpaid but the vast major, like all of them but maybe one, have not committed any crimes!!!
@ME – Maybe you need to read up on the news of today or get out more.
"Make Wall Street pay for its criminal conduct
Commentary: Follow judge’s lead: No more business as usual" (WALL STREET JOURNAL)
"Congress takes on insider trading by Congress" (CNN MONEY)
And with respect to your name calling? Be careful, your intelligence is showing. Next?!!!
WOW!!!!! FOR REAL, 14 YEARS, R U CRAZY. UNFAIR FOR THIS GUY. KILLERS DON'T EVEN GET THAT MUCH, EVEN CHILD MOSLESTERS DON'T GET THAT MUCH. OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.
All the Politicians should be jailed for stealing our money. They get a pay check for not working. I wish I could go to work get nothing accomplished and still get paid. Then use my position of power to get an even better job once I got voted out.
You could, run for office!!! Idiot!
We are living in a sick sick world !
Considering what Congress is currently doing to us....this sentence seems harsh. ...or maybe not. What is the jail time doled out to those in Congress that take our $$ as pay and fail to perform?
Have to side with Blago here. Who the hell knows what is allowed and what is not? Everything he did would have been 100% legal if he had only used the right terms in talking about it.
Illegal: sell, bribe, trade, gift
legal: favor, campaign contribution, consideration, lobbying
Well Rod, now you know.
I am more upset at the governors that are selling their states out to the highest bidder. If Blagojevich goes to jail so should every politician that is doing the same thing. The Koch brothers bought Walker and we know it but they didn't set him up for slanted phone call to air in the press.