CHICAGO – 5 years after his launch from jail, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich nonetheless isn’t letting go of his conviction—and he now desires retribution.
In an unique interview airing Friday evening on FOX 32, he known as his prosecution a “corrupt” effort and argued he was unfairly focused.
What we all know:
Blagojevich, who served eight years of a 14-year sentence for corruption, mentioned he nonetheless has nightmares about his time in federal jail, the place he was housed with convicted murderers, intercourse offenders, and drug sellers.
“The recurring dream, one of many themes of the desires is, I’m nonetheless there,” he mentioned. “What am I nonetheless doing there? I’m alleged to be residence. After which I get up and I’m residence.”
Regardless of moments of reflection, Blagojevich rapidly returned to defending himself, claiming he was framed by federal prosecutors.
“The entire thing was a corrupt prosecution by corrupt prosecutors who ought to be in jail,” he mentioned.
On prices that he tried to promote Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat for private achieve, Blagojevich insisted he was merely asking authorized questions.
“You imply to inform me in a free nation, you possibly can’t speak on personal conversations and throw out every kind of concepts? You don’t have a proper to throw out silly concepts?” he mentioned. “They criminalized it—these sons of b******!”
Blagojevich additionally denied allegations that he tried to shake down the previous CEO of Youngsters’s Memorial Hospital by threatening to drag $8 million in state funding if he didn’t donate to Blagojevich’s marketing campaign.
“What (Patrick Magoon) requested for, he bought. The request for fundraising, my brother by no means bought. By no means a risk, by no means a promise—completely authorized, not a shakedown,” he mentioned, including that he “oughta sue these sons of b****** for slander.”
What’s subsequent:
Blagojevich stays defiant, taking goal at former U.S. Lawyer Pat Fitzgerald, who led the case towards him. Nevertheless, he hesitated to check his case to these of different indicted Illinois politicians, together with Mike Madigan and Ed Burke.
“The circumstances of Madigan and Burke and the others you point out are very completely different from mine,” he mentioned. “And I can’t decide the specifics … I can solely inform you about my case … and I do know what they did to me, and I do know they did the identical factor to Trump.”
Blagojevich maintains he was Illinois’ finest governor—regardless of leaving workplace with a 13% approval score. He’s presently within the ultimate levels of writing a e book about his expertise.
