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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.
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Why give him 90 days before he has to report to prison. Any normal citizen would have not had the chance to pass go before going to jail.
You have to give him plenty of time to get out of Dodge.
Gives him the opportunity to do the honorable thing and save the taxpayers the cost of housing his worthless carcass for 14 years.
LOL, he is going to jail even while thinking what he did was permissable and no one was really hurt..........Then they elect Rahm Emmanuel in Chicago who makes this guy look like a beginner in threats and intimidation and hard ball. When are they going to wire up Emmanuel and Obama???????
Yea!! Really, why?? Someone please tell me before I have another shouting match with my computer!!
I agree. 90 days is unfair to the average citizen who may have only been given 2-3 days to get their affairs in order. He has had plenty of time to get his "affairs" in order. I am glad the judge saw through the lies. I am sorry for his children, but he brought this on himself. His wife may want to think about what her role was in some of this as I find it hard to believe that she did not know at least some of what was going on.
Wish this was an indication that our judiciary was going to get serious about cleaning house in Washington.. There are a whole lot more crooked politicians up there that also need to go....
What makes you think the judiciary isn't filled with the same slime...........just say'in
And the GOP is considering Fruit Newt? Mittens is also suspect with his wiping all the hard drives clean, or allowing employees to buy them so that his paper trail could not be discovered. Everyone appears to be crooked and only in politics to get rich from those that "buy" their favours. We need to elect men and women who have conviction and believe that public service is honorable and for the people, not for the politicians pocket book or bank account or cronies. So sad.
Finally! Maybe now the media will stop memorializing this guy.
"saying he is "unbelievably sorry,"
Indeed, I don't believe it.
just sorry he got caught!
Sorry he got caught !
You hit is right on the nose. He does not say he is "very" sorry, or any equivalent word. He is just saying he is not sorry, but wanted to make it seem that way in hopes of a light sentence.
Sorry he was caught. Come on now.
As a resident of Illinois all I can say is it makes no difference who you vote for they are all con men, crooks and criminals. Some get caught but most don't because they are protected buy the crooks in the criminal justice system. We just seem to replace one with another.
Politician by it's very definition: corrupt and corruptable
Amen
Agreed. Even worse – everything Blago warned us about – has happened.
The people of Illinois rejoice. Another corrupt Democrat going to jail. Now if we can only get Durbin and Obama as cellmates!
What about G ryan, a was GOP darling?
Wow! Ombama....really? He's tried to turn this country around after Bush and Cheney tried to take it away from us.
They should have been prosecuted and gone to jail for the mess they made and the profit Cheney gained from the war.
He was such a smug SOB when he was on The Apprentice trying to plead his case in being innocent. Guess he figured if he kept saying he was not guilty enough the public would actually believe him.
14 years?! How about banning him from public service, paid positions (and TV/book deals). Give him community service, like picking up litter for the same number of years he put trash out there. This punishes all of us taxpayers when we have to house, feed, and entertain him for 14 years. Come on, legal system...we can come up with more fitting consequences.
that should wipe the smirk from his face...............
Didn't he say emphatically that he was innocent and go on a TV blitz stating such? Funny how the tides turned and now he admits to the corruption. Just like all politicians......LIE LIE LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What if Blagojevich had been a black man, white man, or hispanic guy from the burbs and not a politician? Would he have 90 days to report to jail too? I'm pretty sure any one of us would have to be in jail right after our hearing. Hypocritical policy is the governments M.O.
Every dog has his day........sad but true.
He must know some dirt...lets see if obama pardons him before leaving office.
probably
Bye bye Blago. One less Cubs fan to listen too.
Yes, he's guilty. Totally get it. And he should serve time. But doesn't it seem strange to anyone else that Blago gets 14 years, and Conrad Murray only got 4 years for his negligence in helping kill Michael Jackson?
The bigger the crime, the shorter the time – should have pulled this in CA – he'd be out in 14 days, thanks to overcrowding
The big difference is that Michael Jackson contributed mightily to his own demise. The citizens of the State of Illinois got F@#Ked without their permission.