Blagojevich gets 14 years for corruption
Judge James Zagel gave Blagojevich some credit for taking responsibility for his actions, but said that didn’t mitigate his crimes. Zagel also said Blagojevich did some good things for people as governor, but was more concerned about using his powers for himself.
“When it is the governor who goes bad, the fabric of Illinois is torn and disfigured and not easily repaired,” Zagel said.
As the judge announced the sentence, which includes a $20,000 fine, Blagojevich hunched forward and his face appeared frozen. Minutes later, his wife, Patti Blagojevich, stood up and fell into her husband’s arms. He pulled back to brush tears off her cheek and then rubbed her shoulders.
On his way out of the courthouse, Blagojevich cited author Rudyard Kipling and said it was a time to be strong, to fight through adversity and be strong for his children. He said he and wife were heading home to speak to their daughters.
The twice-elected Democrat received by far the harshest sentence among the four Illinois governors sent to prison in the last four decades. He is the second in a row to go to prison; his Republican predecessor, George Ryan, currently is serving six and a half years. The other two got three years or less.
Blagojevich’s attorneys said the sentence of 15-20 years prosecutors wanted was too harsh.
But the judge made it clear that he believed that Blagojevich had lied on the witness stand when he tried to explain his scheming for the Senate seat, and did not believe defence suggestions that the former governor was duped by his advisers.
