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| Rod Blagojevich: Why did Trump just free a jailed Democrat? | Rod Blagojevich: Why did Trump just free a jailed Democrat? |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| US President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated US Senate seat. | US President Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated US Senate seat. |
| But why would the Republican president, who once promised to drain the swamp, show mercy to a Democrat viewed by critics as the embodiment of dirty politics? | But why would the Republican president, who once promised to drain the swamp, show mercy to a Democrat viewed by critics as the embodiment of dirty politics? |
| Even the president's fellow party members in Illinois criticised his decision. | Even the president's fellow party members in Illinois criticised his decision. |
| The state's House Republican delegation said in a statement: "Blagojevich is the face of public corruption in Illinois and not once has he shown any remorse." | The state's House Republican delegation said in a statement: "Blagojevich is the face of public corruption in Illinois and not once has he shown any remorse." |
| But Trump was having none of it. "That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence," he told reporters on Tuesday. | But Trump was having none of it. "That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence," he told reporters on Tuesday. |
| Speaking to reporters after his release, Blagojevich described his "long, unhappy journey" as a "political prisoner" and thanked the president on behalf of his family. | |
| Who else did Trump show mercy to? | Who else did Trump show mercy to? |
| Blagojevich wasn't the only beneficiary of presidential mercy on Tuesday. Trump went on a clemency spree, including to three high-profile figures with powerful friends: | Blagojevich wasn't the only beneficiary of presidential mercy on Tuesday. Trump went on a clemency spree, including to three high-profile figures with powerful friends: |
| Even before he won the White House, Trump expressed sympathy for Blagojevich, who was convicted of flagrant corruption. | Even before he won the White House, Trump expressed sympathy for Blagojevich, who was convicted of flagrant corruption. |
| In 2008, he was responsible for naming someone to fill the Senate seat of Obama, who had been elected president. | In 2008, he was responsible for naming someone to fill the Senate seat of Obama, who had been elected president. |
| Blagojevich, who was twice elected governor, spoke about the political opportunity on the phone with another state official, describing his plans to sell or trade the Democratic safe seat. | Blagojevich, who was twice elected governor, spoke about the political opportunity on the phone with another state official, describing his plans to sell or trade the Democratic safe seat. |
| "I've got this thing," Blagojevich said, describing the seat as "golden". | "I've got this thing," Blagojevich said, describing the seat as "golden". |
| The governor - who loved the camera and was known for always having a hairbrush handy - said: "I'm just not giving it up… for nothing." | The governor - who loved the camera and was known for always having a hairbrush handy - said: "I'm just not giving it up… for nothing." |
| Blagojevich, 63, also tried to obtain campaign funds in exchange for legislation that would help the race-track industry. | Blagojevich, 63, also tried to obtain campaign funds in exchange for legislation that would help the race-track industry. |
| He attempted to pressure an executive at a children's hospital into contributing money to his campaigns. | He attempted to pressure an executive at a children's hospital into contributing money to his campaigns. |
| Blagojevich was convicted of soliciting bribes, attempted extortion and wire fraud, and was sentenced to 14 years. His release date was projected for 2024 until Trump stepped in. | Blagojevich was convicted of soliciting bribes, attempted extortion and wire fraud, and was sentenced to 14 years. His release date was projected for 2024 until Trump stepped in. |
| Before he was put behind bars in 2012, Blagojevich had appeared on Trump's Celebrity Apprentice TV show. | |
| After he was convicted in a retrial a year earlier, Trump told the Hollywood Reporter he felt bad for him. | After he was convicted in a retrial a year earlier, Trump told the Hollywood Reporter he felt bad for him. |
| The president's support for Blagojevich offers a case study in his approach to presidential power and the justice system. | The president's support for Blagojevich offers a case study in his approach to presidential power and the justice system. |
| Trump has his own grievances about investigations - he has called Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russian inquiry a "witch hunt". | Trump has his own grievances about investigations - he has called Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russian inquiry a "witch hunt". |
| On Trump's favourite news channel Fox News last year, Blagojevich's wife, Patti, depicted her husband as the victim of over-zealous prosecutors, drawing parallels with the president's experience during the Mueller investigation. | On Trump's favourite news channel Fox News last year, Blagojevich's wife, Patti, depicted her husband as the victim of over-zealous prosecutors, drawing parallels with the president's experience during the Mueller investigation. |
| Mueller was FBI director when her husband was arrested, and former FBI Director James Comey - another Trump foe - is friends with a former US attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, who prosecuted Blagojevich. | Mueller was FBI director when her husband was arrested, and former FBI Director James Comey - another Trump foe - is friends with a former US attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, who prosecuted Blagojevich. |
| Patti Blagojevich laid out these connections in interviews. | Patti Blagojevich laid out these connections in interviews. |
| The prosecution team behind the Blagojevich case said on Tuesday that despite the president lawfully exercising his clemency powers, the former governor "remains a felon, convicted of multiple serious acts of corruption". | The prosecution team behind the Blagojevich case said on Tuesday that despite the president lawfully exercising his clemency powers, the former governor "remains a felon, convicted of multiple serious acts of corruption". |
| Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian and cultural critic at New York University, says: "He [Trump] clearly identifies with this man who has a harsh sentence and is a fighter. | Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian and cultural critic at New York University, says: "He [Trump] clearly identifies with this man who has a harsh sentence and is a fighter. |
| "He likes that kind of swagger." | "He likes that kind of swagger." |
| She says the president's public views of Blagojevich "helps to create this culture in politics where loyalty is valued over ethics, and where corruption is not necessarily a negative thing". | She says the president's public views of Blagojevich "helps to create this culture in politics where loyalty is valued over ethics, and where corruption is not necessarily a negative thing". |
| Others point out that Trump has never condoned Blagojevich's crimes, but has focused instead on the perceived harshness of the sentence. | Others point out that Trump has never condoned Blagojevich's crimes, but has focused instead on the perceived harshness of the sentence. |
| Brennan Hart, a political consultant in Alexandria, Virginia, who worked on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, says the president "likes people who are a little bit over the top - like a caricature of a manly man". | Brennan Hart, a political consultant in Alexandria, Virginia, who worked on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, says the president "likes people who are a little bit over the top - like a caricature of a manly man". |
| "He's not saying it's OK," says Hart, referring to the president's attitude towards Blagojevich's offences. "He's saying, it's been long enough." | "He's not saying it's OK," says Hart, referring to the president's attitude towards Blagojevich's offences. "He's saying, it's been long enough." |
| Presidential clemency has been a politically fraught issue for decades. President Bill Clinton pardoned a former business partner, Susan McDougal, who went to jail because she refused to testify in the Whitewater real-estate scandal. | Presidential clemency has been a politically fraught issue for decades. President Bill Clinton pardoned a former business partner, Susan McDougal, who went to jail because she refused to testify in the Whitewater real-estate scandal. |
| President George HW Bush pardoned key figures in the Iran-contra scandal, in which he himself was implicated. | President George HW Bush pardoned key figures in the Iran-contra scandal, in which he himself was implicated. |
| But Trump's critics say he has gone further in the way he has politicised clemency. | But Trump's critics say he has gone further in the way he has politicised clemency. |
| David Litt, a former Obama speechwriter and the author of a memoir, Thanks, Obama, says Trump's clemency for Blagojevich reveals "his own victimhood narrative". | David Litt, a former Obama speechwriter and the author of a memoir, Thanks, Obama, says Trump's clemency for Blagojevich reveals "his own victimhood narrative". |
| He says it will "send a message to other people who might be considering a variety of corrupt practises: if you get caught, he'll have your back". | He says it will "send a message to other people who might be considering a variety of corrupt practises: if you get caught, he'll have your back". |