Trump Pardons Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich After Commuting Sentence in 2020

The ex-governor, who served eight years on corruption charges, maintains his innocence and has become a vocal Trump supporter.

Rod Blagojevich, a former Democratic Illinois governor, was granted a full pardon by President Donald Trump on Monday, following the commutation of his 14-year sentence in 2020.
Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 on multiple corruption charges, including attempting to sell Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat and soliciting campaign contributions in exchange for official actions.
Trump described Blagojevich as a victim of a 'terrible injustice,' asserting that the prosecution was politically motivated and likening it to his own legal challenges.
The pardon has sparked bipartisan criticism, with Illinois officials from both parties condemning the decision as undermining accountability for public corruption.
Blagojevich, who appeared on Trump’s 'Celebrity Apprentice' in 2010, has expressed gratitude to Trump and has aligned himself with the former president, calling himself a 'Trumpocrat.'