Trump Commutes Rod Blagojevich Sentence

President Trump on Tuesday commuted the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, which he called "tremendously powerful" and "ridiculous.”

Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 on 17 corruption-related charges including attempted extortion and trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat after he was elected to the White House in 2008. 

President Trump: "Yes, we have commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich." pic.twitter.com/gnTC07fu35

— CSPAN (@cspan) February 18, 2020

The former governor served roughly eight years in prison starting in 2012.  

In commuting Blagojevich's sentence, Trump said the former Democratic lawmaker is very far from his children, who are now in high school and who "rarely get to see their father outside of an orange uniform."

The president also said that he has seen Blagojevich’s wife on TV asking for relief and that the 63-year-old Blagojevich was on "The Apprentice" reality television show, on which Trump had a starring role.

“I don’t know him very well," the president said. "I’ve met him a couple of times. ... He served eight years in jail, there's a long time to go. Many people disagree with the sentence. He’s a Democrat, he’s not a Republican.” 

The president pardoned seven people and commuted the sentences of four individuals on Tuesday according to a press release.