Another day… Another Democrat sent to the clink…
Former Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison today on corruption charges.
ABC News reported:
A federal judge today sentenced impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in prison, giving little weight to Blagojevich’s first-ever apology this morning since his arrest three years ago.
“The jury didn’t believe you and neither did I,” U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel said.
Blagojevich was convicted on 18 corruption charges, including the scheme to peddle the vacated Senate seat of Barack Obama.
Blagojevich started the day telling the court that he was “unbelievably sorry” for his “terrible mistakes,” his last chance to convince the federal judge that he deserved some mercy when he was sentenced on corruption charges.
“I’m here convicted of crimes. The jury decided I was guilty. I am accepting of it. I acknowledge it…” Blagojevich told Zagel. “I want to apologize to the people of Illinois, to the court, for the mistakes I have made. … I never set out to break the law. “I never set out to cross lines. I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions and the things I did and I thought I could do. I’m not blaming anybody,” Blagojevich said.
Prosecutors argued that he has failed the people of Illinois and instead “further eroded the public’s confidence in government and government officials.”“He knew from a very early date exactly what he could do to help the people of Illinois and he didn’t do it,” federal prosecutor Reid Schar said. “Instead, what he did was first to seek personal benefits, jobs, millions of dollars, and things for him in relation to the Senate seat.
