President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Rod Blagojevich, the disgraced former Illinois governor convicted of corruption in 2011. Blagojevich spent eight years in prison for attempts to sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat and for other corruption charges involving campaign contributions. Trump characterized the original case against Blagojevich as a terrible injustice, praising him as a fine person. Blagojevich expressed gratitude for the pardon, indicating a deep personal impact on him and his family, amid ongoing discussions about political biases in legal convictions.
"He was set up by a lot of bad people... It was a sort of a terrible injustice. ... He's just a very fine person," Trump said while signing the pardon on Monday.
"I'll always be profoundly grateful to President Trump for everything he's done for me and my family," said Blagojevich.
"Blagojevich betrayed the trust and faith that Illinois voters placed in him, feeding great public frustration, cynicism and disengagement among citizens," stated Patrick J. Fitzgerald.
FBI wiretaps caught him discussing trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama in 2008. "I've got this thing, and it's ... golden. And uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for ... nothing," said Blagojevich.
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