Trump pardons Rod Blagojevich

When Barack Obama became America's President, there was a huge scandal involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was accused of trying to sell Obama's recently vacated U.S. Senate seat in the state.

Blagojevich served eight years in prison on charges stemming from the accusations, until Trump commuted his 14-year sentence in 2020.

NPR is reporting that President Trump has now pardoned Rod Blagojevich, who served as Illinois' governor from 2003 to 2009.

Blagojevich was convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat after conversations secretly recorded by government agents were used as evidence.

"I’ve got this thing and it’s (expletive) golden," Blagojevich reportedly said. "I’m not just giving it up for (expletive) nothing."

The Chicago Tribune reports that Blagojevich was speaking with his onetime deputy governor, Doug Scofield.

"The thing he’s referring to is his ability to appoint a senator," Scofield testified in court after a wiretap of the call was played. "It’s valuable to him and he’s not giving that thing of value up for nothing or in exchange for nothing."

Blagojevich has known Donald Trump for a while. In 2010, Blagojevich appeared in and was booted off Donald Trump's reality television show, Celebrity Apprentice.

Rod Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He served eight before President Trump freed him.

It was a move that many politicians in Illinois criticized.

According to NPR, "the then-chairman of Illinois' Republican Party said in a statement that in a state where corrupt machine style politics is all too common, it's important that those found guilty serve their prison sentence in its entirety."

After Blagojevich was released from prison, he held a news conference with his wife Patti in which he called the criminal justice system broken and unfair.

"We want to express our most profound and everlasting gratitude to President Trump," Blagojevich said. "How do you properly thank someone who has given you back the freedom that was stolen from you?"

Now, Blagojevich owes Trump an even bigger thanks.