Blagojevich sentenced to prison
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Ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, convicted of political corruption, lost a bid for lenient sentencing based on his failure to collect money in exchange for official acts including his attempt to sell Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat.
Today a federal judge passed sentence on Rod Blogojevich:
A lawyer for Blagojevich, who was found guilty of 18 federal crimes in two trials, said the 15- to 20-year prison term proposed by prosecutors is too stiff considering that he didn’t get the campaign money and other personal benefits he sought. At the start of the twice-elected Democrat’s sentencing hearing today in Chicago, U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel said Blagojevich aimed to make a criminal gain of more than $1.6 million and needs to be held accountable for his efforts.
“The governor of Illinois had significant power to inflict penalties on those who did not pay,” Zagel said today.
While the judge said Blagojevich would be eligible under sentencing guidelines for a prison term of 30 years to life, a punishment that severe is “simply not appropriate within the context of this case.”
Blagojevich, 54, led the fifth-most populous American state from January 2003 until his impeachment and removal from office in January 2009. He was arrested a month earlier for what Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald then called “a political corruption crime spree.”
Carolyn Gurland, the ex-governor’s lawyer, today argued that the illegal monetary gain the government attributed to him is too speculative and shouldn’t be a factor in his sentencing.
‘Received Nothing’
“Here, Mr. Blagojevich received nothing and was never going to receive anything,” Gurland said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar countered that the issue was what Blagojevich wanted, not what he actually received.
Zagel, who is hearing other arguments from defense attorneys for leniency, told lawyers for both sides Dec. 2 that the proceedings will likely to last more than one day.
“He’s going to receive a sentence that will take the oxygen out of the courtroom when it’s announced,” Steven A. Miller, a former federal prosecutor who is now a white-collar defense attorney, said in a phone interview last week. He predicted a 14-year term.
The bottom line, after it was all said and done: Blago, poetry lover, and Elvis fan was sentenced to 14 years.
Thanks to Bloomberg for the story.
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This cats a pall on the sentence George Ryan received. Far less than Blagojevich and Ryan’ cronies allowed unqualified people to get truck drivers licences for buying tickets to Ryan fundraisers. One of these people was responsible for the deaths of a family.
The judge should have saved his speech also. Illinois politics has been a cesspool since the 1960’s. For him to lecture about Blago being responsible for giving politica in Illinois a bad name is silly and nothing but grandstanding on his part. Just deliver the sentence and be quiet.
He’s a criminal and he needs to pay the price. The chances of him serving 14 years are slim to none. He will be out within 5 years.
This seems a little steep to me. There are others who did just as much if not worse that got less.
I have to agree. This is pretty steep, but when you look at Chicago politics, I think they’re trying to send a “we take this seriously now” message.