President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Thursday night that White House staff are “continuing to review” the possibility of commuting the sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
In a social media post, the president called the former governor’s 14 year sentence a “very severe one,” and confirmed that his staff is looking into commuting it.
“Rod Blagojevich, the former Governor of Illinois, was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He has served 7 years. Many people have asked that I study the possibility of commuting his sentence in that it was a very severe one. White House staff is continuing the review of this matter,” the president tweeted.
The news comes one day after the president told reporters on-board Air Force One that he was “seriously considering” commuting Blagojevich’s sentence.
“I thought he was treated unbelievably unfairly,” the president said. “I am seriously thinking about – not pardoning – but I am seriously thinking of a curtailment of Blagojevich.”
The president also praised Patti Blagojevich, who has been actively trying to get the administration to issue a pardon or commutation for her husband since the president took office in 2017.
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The former Illinois governor has served seven years of a 14-year prison sentence handed down after he was convicted of trying to sell the Senate seat of then president-elect Barack Obama. Several appeals, including one of the Supreme Court, have been denied, but the president has hinted that he would consider commuting Blagojevich's sentence for over a year.
