ST. LOUIS — Illinois lawmakers — both Republicans and Democrats — are reacting with disappointment and disapproval after President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Blagojevich, a Democrat, walked out of prison Tuesday night. He’s been behind bars since 2012 after being convicted of trying to sell the Senate seat of then-President-Elect Barack Obama.
He was on track to be released in March 2024, but walked out of prison four years early after Pres. Trump commuted his sentence.
After Pres. Trump made the announcement, Illinois lawmakers shared their thoughts on the commutation.
The Illinois House Republican Delegation released the following joint statement from Congressmen Mike Bost (IL-12), Darin LaHood (IL-18), John Shimkus (IL-15), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) and Rodney Davis (IL-13):
"We are disappointed by the President’s commutation of Rod Blagojevich’s federal sentence. We believe he received an appropriate and fair sentence, which was the low-end of the federal sentencing guidelines for the gravity of his public corruption convictions. Blagojevich is the face of public corruption in Illinois, and not once has he shown any remorse for his clear and documented record of egregious crimes that undermined the trust placed in him by voters. As our state continues to grapple with political corruption, we shouldn’t let those who breached the public trust off the hook. History will not judge Rod Blagojevich well."
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin released the following statement:
“Former Governor Blagojevich betrayed the people of Illinois and engaged in a pattern of corrupt behavior for which he was held accountable and which cost him more than seven years of freedom. “At a time when corruption by elected officials is still in the headlines, Illinois and Washington should move quickly to establish stricter ethics requirements, including the full detailed disclosure of income, net worth, and income tax returns by all elected officials.”
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has not released a statement on Blagovevich on her social media sites.
State Sen. Paul Schimpf, a Republican who represents Waterloo, released the following statement:
“I disagree with President Trump’s decision to commutate the sentence of Rod Blagojevich. I am not aware of any expression of remorse or guilt by Inmate Blagojevich. Further, in light of the current ethics crisis in Illinois government involving multiple arrests and ongoing federal investigations, I believe this commutation sends the wrong message to current and potential bad actors.”
