- @cnnbrk
- Followers: 64,171,002
An American aid worker who was kidnapped in Niger more than six years ago and held hostage by terrorists has been râ€twitter.com/i/web/status/1…kk
- @cnnbrk
- Followers: 64,171,002
The world is running out of time to avoid catastrophic levels of global warming, a new UN report warns cnn.it/3Lxo8sg
- @cnnbrk
- Followers: 64,171,002
Xi Jinping has landed in Moscow for meetings with Vladimir Putin, Russian state media TASS reported cnn.it/3yQuk73
- @cnnbrk
- Followers: 64,171,002
The Federal Reserve and five other central banks around the world announce coordinated effort to make it easier forâ€twitter.com/i/web/status/1…af
- @cnnbrk
- Followers: 64,171,002
Swiss banking giant UBS agrees to buy its ailing rival Credit Suisse in an emergency rescue deal aimed at stemmingâ€twitter.com/i/web/status/1…RP
- @cnnbrk
- Followers: 64,171,002
The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin visited the occupied city of Mariupol in Ukraine, just days after the ICC issued anâ€twitter.com/i/web/status/1…Mk
- @cnnbrk
- Followers: 64,171,002
Former President Trump says he expects to be arrested next week in connection with the hush money investigation byâ€twitter.com/i/web/status/1…Q5
CNN POLITICS ON FACEBOOK » | CNN POLITICS ON TWITTER »
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
On Twitter
On Twitter
@cnnbrk on Twitter
Funny, he wasn't sorry before when he denied the allegations. He went on to laugh it up on the show "The Apprentice" and never had any regrets up til now. Why? Because TIME ran out. You can do anything in this world you like but you're not escaping thee almighty time factor. Now he can think about it for 14 years longer. He will forever be an embarrassment to the people and the State of Chicago.
As Obumbo is...but an embarassment to our country.
85% booooy! he will do a little over 11 years!
State of Chicago? Isn't Chicago a CITY in Illinois?
And you will forever be an embarrassment to your geography teacher.
"State of Chicago." You fail geography?
Chicago is a city, bruh
to all those that posted about the "state of chicago" and how incorrect he is. take it from someone who lives in southern illinois. people who live in chicago think that chicago is its own state and everything that illinois makes or has should go to them and only them. so when he says State of Chicago it shows their arrogance for the rest of illinois
You sound like an idiot because Illinois is a state and Chicago is a city.
Chicago's not a state.
There are alot of those like him that are in political positions and shouldn't be, Too many peons without balls to follow our laws and be truthful, eventually it catches up to them.
thats2bad - Chicago is a city in the "STATE" of Illinois (and if you don't know the "s" is silent). Wow you need to go back to school you troll...
State of Illinois not Chicago.
Neat, now we should prosecute government officials who sell their votes to lobbyists.
YES!!!
The sad thing is...
...Blagojevich tried to sell himself but no one was buying...he was even bad at being a crook...
...should have learned from the Hammer himself...Tom Delay
His little girls are the one's who will suffer the most. I feel sorry for them.
He should find a way to flee. ...he has 90 days to get ingenious, if that is even possible.
14 years is insane. Michael Jackson's doctor was convicted of killing him and only got 4 years!!!
No he should get life...using elected power so flagrantly for self gain is high treason.
He has 90 days to spill the beans on all the other corrupt Chicago democrats now that he know's he's going to prison.
he's stupid. new more than one person who spent time in prison and they all said the same thing...criminals are stupid.
Wow 14 years, Just for that.. Then i guess Goldman and Jp Morgan should be in jail for about 500 years for what they have done. Problem is you people in the U.S. are to soft. All the money and pain they put on people, And no one is doing anythink about it. Man i am glad I dont live in the U.S. Were i live we burn down there places of work...
His mouth will start spewing indictments against everyone he can possibly name. What a schmuck.
Except he'll probably be telling the truth about them when he does.
Maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'unbelievable'.
So now they will go after banksters and corrupt Washington politician right?
Sure they will..
They can start with the "golfer-in-Chief".
its called an Obama pardon. they could have given him 80 years. he's out in 300 days max.
Totally agree
obama wont dare pardon him. just like bush didnt pardon george ryan. bad taste.
And why didn't they lead him from the courthouse to prison in handcuffs? 90 days to report to prison? Smoke a little weed and they will have you in shackles, abuse the power of elected office, eh, come on in to prison when you're ready.....
Why does everything seem so backwards?
Agreed...
It's sad that the state of Illinois has such a bad political reputation. I am sure that there are honest politicians in the state but it seems they are few and far between. He should go to jail...........Why is it assumed that the President will
pardon this man? What has he done to deserve a pardon? But, if you don't like the President, you will convince yourself that he can do no right.....wheather he is right or not......Stop being sheep and get all your facts before making asinine comments that has no basis in fact.
Justice served. Justice is a definitely too fat and too slow.
He'll probably get time off for good hair.