Now that former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has received a presidential pardon, could an ambassadorship or even a run for public office be in the cards?
Blagojevich is under consideration to become the ambassador to Serbia, a country he's visited twice recently. His father was born in Serbia, and Blagojevich headed a "Serbs for Trump" rally during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last year.
The pardon, which was granted by President Donald Trump on Monday, also opens up other possibilities for Blagojevich's political and financial future.
After he was indicted on charges that he conspired to sell the Senate seat of then-President-Elect Barack Obama, Blagojevich was impeached by the Illinois General Assembly, making him the first Illinois governor in history to be impeached.
He was removed then from office by the Illinois Senate in January 2009, with a clause within that removal leaving him disqualified from holding specific offices.
The impeachment document says, "Rod R. Blagojevich is disqualified from holding any future public office of the State of Illinois.”
Election lawyer Michael Dorf, who is not involved in Blagojevich's case, said he interprets the document to mean Blagojevich could not run for governor or other state constitutional offices, such as lieutenant governor or attorney general, again.
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However, Dorf believes the former governor could run for local and federal offices if he chooses to do so.
"He could run for United States Senate. He could run for his old seat in Congress. I think he can run for mayor of Chicago, as well," Dorf said.
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In 2011, then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued an opinion that resulted in the forfeiture of Blagojevich's pension, which is worth about $65,000 annually. If he were to receive back pay, that would add up to $910,000. Separately, he has a federal pension from his time as a U.S. representative.
State records show the Illinois Supreme Court disbarred Blagojevich in May 2020 after a state panel recommended his law license be taken away. After five years, meaning May 2025, he is able to file a petition to have his law license reinstated; however, Dorf said Blagojevich may face trouble being able to practice again.
"It's not just a conviction. There's a good character provision, and the pardon does not erase questions of character and morality," Dorf said.
