Durbin Statement On President Trump's Pardon Of Former Gov. Blagojevich
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump pardoned former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, amid speculation that Blagojevich is in consideration for an ambassadorship. President Trump commuted Blagojevich’s 14-year prison sentence in February 2020.
“In a state with more than its fair share of public corruption, the Blagojevich chapter still looms as one of the worst. America and Serbia deserve better.”
Comptroller Mendoza: Rod Blagojevich is unworthy of a pardon
"President Trump has the power as president to pardon whomever he wants.
The president can pardon someone as unworthy as Rod Blagojevich, who threatened to hold up funds from a children’s hospital unless the hospital’s CEO donated to his campaign. That was my bill to fund treatment for sick children that Blagojevich held up.
Long before it was fashionable to criticize the governor of my own party, I was a lonely voice calling for Blagojevich’s impeachment. I stand by my remarks on the floor of the House during his impeachment after I co-sponsored the bill to launch the impeachment committee against Blagojevich:
“It’s amazingly fitting that Governor Blagojevich face impeachment today of all days on his self-admitted hero Richard Nixon’s birthday. Their common bond of impeachment will unite them in history’s dark annals of corruption. But even Nixon displayed more integrity than Blagojevich by resigning before he was impeached.
I sponsored House Bill 5331 that would have provided $8 million for specialty care pediatricians in Illinois. Those sick children, Governor, they’re still waiting. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that Governor Blagojevich would have pulled back funds for sick children in order to extort the president of the children’s hospital.”
A pardon does not erase his crimes from the memory of many Illinoisans whose trust he violated and it never will."
State Treasurer Frerichs Statement on Trump Pardon of Disgraced Ex-Governor Blagojevich
“I made sure Rod Blagojevich was barred from holding state or local office after I voted to remove him as governor. Our disgraced ex-governor held hostage funds for sick kids in a campaign cash shakedown. It's no surprise Trump doesn't think Blagojevich committed any crimes.”
Historical background: In January 2009, then-State Sen. Frerichs made the motion in the Illinois Senate to bar Blagojevich from holding state or local office after senators had voted to remove him. The motion was approved.
