Trump commutes Blagojevich sentence, pardons junk bond king Milken

[webfact]

Trump commutes Blagojevich sentence, pardons junk bond king Milken

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland

 

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich makes a statement to reporters outside his Chicago home one day before reporting to federal prison in Colorado to serve a 14-year sentence for corruption, March 14, 2012. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump came under fire on Tuesday for commuting the sentence of Rod Blagojevich, the ex-Illinois governor convicted of trying to peddle Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat.

 

Trump also pardoned Michael Milken, once considered Wall Street’s "junk bond king," along with six others, and commuted the sentences of another three people. The recipients of clemency had been convicted on charges ranging from defrauding the federal government to theft.

 

Blagojevich, a Democrat who appeared on Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" reality television show while awaiting trial, began serving a 14-year sentence in 2012 after being convicted of wire fraud, extortion and soliciting bribes while governor.

 

"That was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence," said Trump, a real estate developer who produced and starred in the NBC show before clinching the Republican presidential nomination and winning election to succeed Obama in the White House in 2016.

 

Within hours, the Chicago Tribune quoted a U.S. Bureau of Prisons statement saying Blagojevich "is no longer in custody" at a federal detention center in Colorado.

 

Chicago television station WGN-TV aired footage of the former governor, his once jet-black hair now white, at Denver International Airport as he was making his way home.

 

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had commuted the sentence of 63-year-old Rod Blagojevich, the former Democratic governor of Illinois convicted of corruption for trying to sell former President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. Colette Luke has more.

 

"I'm profoundly grateful to President Trump. It's a profound and everlasting gratitude," Blagojevich told reporters. "He didn't have to do this, he's a Republican president."

 

Blagojevich, 63, was removed from office in 2009 after prosecutors said he tried to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat Obama vacated after winning the 2008 presidential election.

 

Trump's decision was criticized by both Democrats and Republicans, although some Democrats supported the move.

 

"Blagojevich is the face of public corruption in Illinois, and not once has he shown any remorse for his clear and documented record of egregious crimes that undermined the trust placed in him by voters," five Republican congressmen from the state said in a joint statement.

 

Trump's pardons come two days before the expected sentencing of his long-time friend Roger Stone on Thursday, amid speculation the president could pardon him as well.

 

"The pardoning of these disgraced figures should be treated as another national scandal by a lawless executive," said Democratic U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, referring to Blagojevich and Milken.

 

Milken was indicted in 1989 in an insider trading probe. After pleading guilty to securities violations, he paid $1.1 billion and served about two years in prison.

 

Since then has headed the non-profit Milken Institute, focusing on a wide span of research, including curing cancer, public health, aging, California and financial markets. Each year the titans of finance flock to the Milken Institute Global Conference, where fund managers and marketers woo prospective investors and philanthropies make pitches for funding.

 

"We have Mike Milken who's gone around and done an incredible job for the world with all of his research on cancer," Trump told reporters in Washington. "He paid a big price, paid a very tough price."

 

Trump also pardoned former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was sentenced in 2010 to four years in prison for tax fraud and for making false statements.

 

Kerik, an ally of Trump lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, was a leader in the city's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

 

His career unraveled when he tried to conceal apartment renovations paid for by a contractor that the city had blacklisted because of suspected ties to organized crime.

 

Kerik pleaded guilty to hiding the renovations from the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service and lying to White House officials while being vetted to lead the Homeland Security Department under President George W. Bush. He was freed in May 2013.

 

Trump also pardoned Eddie DeBartolo Jr., the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers football team. He pleaded guilty in 1998 to failing to report a felony regarding payment demanded for a riverboat casino license in a bribery scheme.

 

Others pardoned include entrepreneur Ariel Friedler, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to access a protected computer; former contractor Paul Pogue, who was accused of tax fraud; David Safavian, the top U.S. government procurement officer who lied about ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, himself convicted of bribery; and Angela Stanton, who was implicated in a 2007 stolen vehicle ring.

 

Trump also commuted the sentences of three women, two convicted on drug charges and one on charges of defrauding the federal government through her healthcare company.

 

(Reporting by Makini Brice, Steve Holland, Lisa Lambert, Eric Beech and Jeff Mason in Washington, and Keith Coffman in Denver; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Howard Goller, Sonya Hepinstall and Gerry Doyle)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-19

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[worgeordie]

Must be his friends,the kind of people he associates with at least.

regards worgeordie

[TopDeadSenter]

Trump the Magnanimous. It was a good move, shows he is above partisan pettiness that the other side can't seem to rise above.

[Sujo]

11 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Trump the Magnanimous. It was a good move, shows he is above partisan pettiness that the other side can't seem to rise above.

What non partisanship, even fox news said it was a stupid move.

 

Blagojevitch, the epitomy of the corrupt swamp. Trump cant say he fights corruption after this.

 

Didnt take much, only for blagojevitchs wife to go on tv saying how good trump is. Boom, pardoned.

Edited February 19, 2020 by Sujo

[JHolmesJr]

This is encouraging news for any Dems who might be in line for stiff prison sentences for

treason and trying to overthrow a lawfully elected president through unlawful means.

 

 

[silent]

Back in the USSR

[Bluespunk]

trump pardons the corrupt and those defrauding the govt. 

 

maga

[Sujo]

37 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

This is encouraging news for any Dems who might be in line for stiff prison sentences for

treason and trying to overthrow a lawfully elected president through unlawful means.

 

 

Which is no one.

[JHolmesJr]

2 hours ago, Sujo said:

Which is no one.

No wastage then.

In which case, I hope he'll use them for Manafort, Flynn and Stone.

[Chomper Higgot]

13 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

No wastage then.

In which case, I hope he'll use them for Manafort, Flynn and Stone.

He’ll do no such thing.

 

He can’t risk a legal challenge over his right to pardon coconspirators in his own crimes.

 

Moreover, Trump doesn’t have a lot of time for people who get caught.

Edited February 19, 2020 by Chomper Higgot

[Nyezhov]

4 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

No wastage then.

In which case, I hope he'll use them for Manafort, Flynn and Stone.

I dont beleive Manfort deserves a pardon.

 

On Flynn and Stone, I would prefer to see the post trial and appeals process completed.

[JHolmesJr]

6 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

He’ll do no such thing.

 

He can’t risk a legal challenge over his right to pardon coconspirators in his own crimes.

 

Moreover, people doesn’t have a lot of time for people who get caught.

 

you've been wrong on almost everything trump.....give it a rest.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

you've been wrong on almost everything trump.....give it a rest.

Please do give me some examples.

 

[JHolmesJr]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Please do give me some examples.

 

 

everything...its all just bile and hatred.

[zydeco]

Rich and powerful? Got that way by stealing and fraud? Well, Trump's your boy. Donald to the rescue of every steaming pile of corruption out there.

[Psimbo]

So much for draining the swamp- he's just chucked a few alligators back in.

[Thomas J]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Rod Blagojevich, the ex-Illinois governor convicted of trying to peddle Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat.

What do you think the chances are Rod Blogojevich has lots of dirt on Obama and his cronies and now will be inclined to share it.  Blogojevich met with Obama officials prior to his attempting to sell the seat.  I suspect that he has lots of information on the Democratic mob in Chicago.  Watch out to see if he "suddenly commits suicide" 

The clip is from Obama's minister the GD America cleric. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy6lFFaX0nQ

[VillageIdiot]

21 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

So much for draining the swamp- he's just chucked a few alligators back in.

Chicago is a swamp that has never been properly drained.

Blago is a typical corrupt prole who feels as much at home there as Brer Rabbit did in the briar patch.

[Somewhere In Time]

1 hour ago, JHolmesJr said:

everything...its all just bile and hatred.

Hear, hear!

 

SIT

[stevenl]

30 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

What do you think the chances are Rod Blogojevich has lots of dirt on Obama and his cronies and now will be inclined to share it.  Blogojevich met with Obama officials prior to his attempting to sell the seat.  I suspect that he has lots of information on the Democratic mob in Chicago.  Watch out to see if he "suddenly commits suicide" 

The clip is from Obama's minister the GD America cleric. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy6lFFaX0nQ

 

23 minutes ago, Somewhere In Time said:

Hear, hear!

 

SIT

Hear hear.

[Tug]

8 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Trump the Magnanimous. It was a good move, shows he is above partisan pettiness that the other side can't seem to rise above.

Naaa I think it’s more about distraction a petty dig at Obama there is a debate tonight so he has to keep his base entertained.he knows only the best people hey how about Bernie madhof he’s a con man bilko artist 

[heybruce]

8 hours ago, Thomas J said:

What do you think the chances are Rod Blogojevich has lots of dirt on Obama and his cronies and now will be inclined to share it.  Blogojevich met with Obama officials prior to his attempting to sell the seat.  I suspect that he has lots of information on the Democratic mob in Chicago.  Watch out to see if he "suddenly commits suicide" 

The clip is from Obama's minister the GD America cleric. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy6lFFaX0nQ

So Blagojevich has information on Obama but, rather than use it before sentencing to reduce his 14 year sentence, he sat on it since 2012 and waited for an anti-Obama President to pardon him.

 

Trump supporters complain that people treat them like they're stupid.  Conspiracy theories like that don't help their case.

[heybruce]

The "drain the swamp" President is pardoning people convicted of corruption.

 

I'm waiting for Trump supporters to explain that.

[gk10002000]

14 hours ago, Sujo said:

What non partisanship, even fox news said it was a stupid move.

 

Blagojevitch, the epitomy of the corrupt swamp. Trump cant say he fights corruption after this.

 

Didnt take much, only for blagojevitchs wife to go on tv saying how good trump is. Boom, pardoned.

Blago was pretty disgusting, the way he says something like "I got a great thing here and I can't just give it away for nothing."  No, you should have formed a commission, held a referendum, or come up with some way to choose a new replacement for Obama instead of putting it up for illegal auction and highest bid

[gk10002000]

I was just reading up on Milken.  He is described as a philanthropist.  Sure, easy to be a big shot and get an ego boost when giving away other people's money.  And he was supposedly fined 600 million and presumably paid it.  Gosh wiki says his compensation was over 1 Billion one year.  Can only imagine how much money the firm actually made.

[TheFishman1]

No surprise here Trump as usual 

[atyclb]

16 hours ago, Sujo said:

17 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Trump the Magnanimous. It was a good move, shows he is above partisan pettiness that the other side can't seem to rise above.

What non partisanship, even fox news said it was a stupid move.

 

for the intellectually challenged; non partisanship likely refers to the person whose sentence  commuted is a democrat

[tomazbodner]

17 hours ago, Sujo said:

What non partisanship, even fox news said it was a stupid move.

 

Blagojevitch, the epitomy of the corrupt swamp. Trump cant say he fights corruption after this.

 

Didnt take much, only for blagojevitchs wife to go on tv saying how good trump is. Boom, pardoned.

Given you're talking about Trump, it would likely be Boom Boom, pardoned, but only if she looked like his daughter...

[bristolboy]

I think people are being way too critical of Trump. If there's one thing we know about the man, it's his huge capacity for empathy. How many of us could manage to feel charitable towards those who have either great wealth, powerful connections, or both? I mean it's easy to feel sorry for the poor and unfortunate. In fact, it's so easy, so unchallenging, that Trump doesn't even bother to try. What would that prove after all?   And, of course, there are very few billionaires who are so caring that they make themselves the recipients of their own charitable giving. It's only because the government is such a Grinch, that Trump was fined for his self-benevolence. God Bless Donald Trump and God Bless Us Every One...of the Privileged Few.

 

[Caldera]

Great to see Blago freed. While he's guilty as sin, the ridiculous sentence he was given didn't fit the crime.