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Donald Trump is considering commuting the sentence of disgraced former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojavich

haziq

haziq

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,657






For those not in the know, Blagojavich is currently serving a 14 year prison sentence for being extremely corrupt, even by Illinois standards. His notable offenses include trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, and withholding funding from a Children's Hospital.

His connection to Trump? Well, other than being the role model for the kind of blatant corruption Trump endorses, he was also a former member of Celebrity Apprentice.



Sell my seat and extort children if old.
 

Deleted member 12129

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Oct 27, 2017
2,021
So.. the President can step in and say "Nah that sentence was too long. You're out." just like that? Does this set a precedent for future cases similar to Rod's? Or even other existing sentences?
 
tsampikos

tsampikos

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,613
Of course he wants to forgive corruption. He too wants to be forgiven if shit ever catches up with him.
 
Dyle

Dyle

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
29,944
I'll never understand this move. He gets absolutely nothing from this. But Patty has been on Fox News a bunch so it's easy to see where he got the idea at least
 
DrEvil

DrEvil

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Oct 25, 2017
2,647
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Oh my god that guy, I had totally forgotten about him - but the apprentice clip brought it all back.
 

Deleted member 11413

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22,961
joeygreco1985 said:
So.. the President can step in and say "Nah that sentence was too long. You're out." just like that? Does this set a precedent for future cases similar to Rod's? Or even other existing sentences?
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The president has to power to pardon, as in he can step in and say "Your crime is completely forgiven". So yeah he can commute sentences. Presidents do this quite often.
 
Stinkles

Stinkles

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
20,459
joeygreco1985 said:
So.. the President can step in and say "Nah that sentence was too long. You're out." just like that? Does this set a precedent for future cases similar to Rod's? Or even other existing sentences?
Click to expand...
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That's precisely how presidential commutations work and there's usually a fair mixture of "reasonable seeming corrections of injustices" and political favor trading. But Trump is going ham with it.

This one may be a proxy dig at Obama or pure flex.
 
OP
OP
haziq

haziq

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,657
joeygreco1985 said:
So.. the President can step in and say "Nah that sentence was too long. You're out." just like that? Does this set a precedent for future cases similar to Rod's? Or even other existing sentences?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Hell, if my understanding is correct, at least you still have the conviction on record even if the sentence is committed.

We're lucky that Blago isn't just being given a pardon outright.
 
platocplx

platocplx

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Oct 30, 2017
36,072
america has a massive whit collar crime issue. it should be dealt with just as bad as violent crimes. smh
 
Baji Boxer

Baji Boxer

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Oct 27, 2017
11,380
ElectricBlanketFire

ElectricBlanketFire

What year is this?
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Oct 25, 2017
31,857
gaogaogao said:
are you sure it's not money? cause it's probably money
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Like he'd get money from the Blagojavich's?

clevbrowns95 said:
He wants a pardon/commuted sentence one day. He's pay it forward.
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I'm not sure how commuting Blagojavich's sentence accomplishes this.

Balphon said:
It's an ego trip. He enjoys the power.
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There we go.

Baji Boxer said:
Comey oversaw Blagojavich's prosecution, so Trump being his usual petty self is a factor. Also, I'm thinking there were some buisiness dealings or something with Blag's wife at some point? I don't recall.
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Ah, there we really go.
 
Fisty

Fisty

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,227
Trump overturning sentences because he doesnt like the guy who was in charge of the FBI at the time
 
mael

mael

Avenger
Nov 3, 2017
16,812
Isn't that just because he can't offer the guy a position while he's still in prison though?
 
Vas

Vas

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,016
He's done. All the adults in his orbit are gone and he's spinning his tires for ideas on what to do at work. No vision. No strategy. I don't think he even wants to win anymore. I bet he skips the debates next year, conceding whether he'l admit it or not.
 
ChaosXVI

ChaosXVI

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Oct 25, 2017
2,851
The dude was one of the most corrupt politicians in Illinois history, and that's saying something! If Trump pardons this guy it'll weaken the GOP in IL more than they already are.
 
Jims

Jims

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,226
I remember this guy on Celebrity Apprentice. He didn't know how to use a computer. One of the other celebrities had to come over to show him how to write something in Word. Couldn't believe at the time somone could rise up that high without those basic work skills. But politics means you don't really have to learn to do things.

Pathetic that Trump would consider this, but par for the course for him.
 
Sai

Sai

Prophet of Truth
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Oct 25, 2017
5,622
Chicago
Of fucking course he is.

Every year his daughter goes and puts on a tearful show about how sorry he is and how he should be let go. It's pathetic.
 
TylersProphecy

TylersProphecy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,172
United States
My dad, as an illinois state pilot, flew this man for the last few years of his (blagoyovich) career. He is just as slimy as everyone believes and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. God damn that man.
 
TylersProphecy

TylersProphecy

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Oct 27, 2017
2,172
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Jims said:
I remember this guy on Celebrity Apprentice. He didn't know how to use a computer. One of the other celebrities had to come over to show him how to write something in Word. Couldn't believe at the time somone could rise up that high without those basic work skills. But politics means you don't really have to learn to do things.

Pathetic that Trump would consider this, but par for the course for him.
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The crazy part is the celebrity apprentice shit is AFTER he committed the crimes. This is how slow moving and ineffective our judicial system is against people of power. He was being charged for selling a congressional seat while also being on reality tv.
We live in the funhouse mirror version of justice now, warped and distorted until it bends back in on itself, never really working right, just confusing those around it. Fuck me.
 
Erpy

Erpy

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May 31, 2018
2,997
Kushner apparantly told Trump he might score some points with the Democrats by getting Blagojavich out of jail, what with B. being a Democrat and all. (because Dems are apparantly only protesting against Trumpian corruption because it's Republicans profitting off of it) That probably merely tells you Kushner is an idiot. As far as I know, Democrats are fine with Blagojavich being where he currently is, him being a crook and all, and since they intend on making corruption a campaign issue against Trump in 2020, there's no way they'd welcome a presidential pardon even if Rod WAS popular in the party.
 
megalowho

megalowho

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Oct 27, 2017
2,562
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It's particularly hilarious and telling that Jared thinks this move would be a strategic olive branch for Democrats that will win him support. As if trading corruption favors is what we're all in the game here for.
 

Deleted member 7279

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,553
Current governor of Illinois, who was on some of the tapes of Rod and talked about how best to use the Senate seat appointment to gain an advantage for Rod, does not believe he should have his sentence commuted.

Jesse Jackson and Jesse Jackson Jr. have both been working to get his sentence commuted

Illinois senator Dick Durbin said he felt the sentence was harsh.

Trump will do what he wants (he usually does anyway) so I expect within the next few weeks for this to happen. Not sure what the perception at large is now but at the time I remember the first trial when it was him and his brother both charged with all this stuff I feel like they went a little too hard and ultimately couldn't adequately prove their case. This is pretty rare for the federal prosecutors from what I understood at the time. Their conviction rate was extremely high.

Have always felt that Blago fighting tooth and nail instead of rolling over for them in the second trial caused him to get a stiffer sentence than he otherwise would have. That if he had cooperated or admitted any sort of wrongdoing before conviction he would have had an easier sentence.

Also of LOLworthy note was when he was impeached by the state legislature the vote to convict was unanimous other than his sister in law. Family first I guess!
 
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