More commutation react
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A.D. Quig at Crain’s…
President Donald Trump’s commutation of the 14-year sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich sends the wrong message about the current corruption scandal roiling the state, lawmakers and the attorneys who prosecuted Blagojevich say.
The timing “couldn’t have been worse,” says Jeff Cramer, a managing director at Berkeley Research Group in Chicago and formerly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. “Here we are with the U.S. Attorney’s Office bringing several political corruption cases, there are elected officials wearing wires to bring other cases, there’s no indication that tide is going to stem anytime soon.”
Cramer, who was a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office at the time of the Blagojevich prosecution, doesn’t see any apparent political upside to Trump releasing a Democratic official. “It’s a difficult message for the president, a law and order guy, as he postures himself, to have a couple weeks where he’s just throwing out gifts to the politically connected.”
* Tribune…
In August, of Blagojevich, Trump said, “And a lot of people thought it was unfair, like a lot of other things — and it was the same gang, the Comey gang and all these sleazebags that did it.”
The president was referring to former FBI Director James Comey, a frequent Trump target who he contends sought to politicize the nation’s top law enforcement agency in the 2016 election in which Trump faced Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. After taking office, the president fired Comey amid the investigation into Russia’s interference in the election and whether the Trump campaign was involved.
The president’s comments mirrored what Patti Blagojevich has said in not-so-veiled attempts to link her husband’s prosecution to some of Trump’s perceived political enemies.
In reality, Comey was in private practice from 2005 to 2013 — virtually the entire time Blagojevich was investigated and prosecuted. And Blagojevich’s prosecution was launched by a Justice Department under the George W. Bush White House.
* Sun-Times…
Trump has repeatedly erred when he said Blagojevich was sentenced to 18 years or so. Zagel gave Blagojevich 14 years, putting him on track for release in March 2024.
* Senate President Harmon…
* From Judge Zagel’s 2011 sentencing…
A corrupt governor can be “more damaging than any other office in the United States, except that of the president,” Judge Zagel said before announcing the sentence.
“When it is the governor who goes bad, the fabric of Illinois is torn, disfigured and not easily repaired,” Zagel said. “The harm here is not measured in the value of money or property. The harm is the erosion of public trust in government.”
* Mark Brown…
Whatever path he takes, Blagojevich will undoubtedly command our attention for the rest of his life.
We elected him, not once but twice, and now there’s no escaping him.
That’s our punishment.
…Adding… Capitol News Illinois…
Durkin questioned why Blagojevich should get “special treatment” when others who are imprisoned for drug offenses receive decades in prison without relief from presidential pardons.
“It’s just because of the celebrity of Rod Blagojevich,” Durkin said. “I think it’s wrong and it sends a bad message to people in this country that … you don’t have to pay your debt to society.”
“I’m never going to be able to figure out how the president messages, nor the decision making that he does,” Durkin said. “That’s something he’s going to have to explain, but I think he needs to explain to the people of Illinois who saw a governor destroy the integrity of this office but also did some very, very terrible things to the finances of this state. I hope that he could make a plausible explanation of why this is appropriate, because I haven’t seen anything yet.”
Durkin added “I guess he’s not concerned about the state of Illinois for next November.”
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* I’ll believe it when I see it because the president came pretty close to commutation months ago and was talked out of it by the Illinois GOP delegation…
* The Question: Do you support or oppose a presidential commutation for Rod Blagojevich? Please make sure to explain your position.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Some initial react…
*** UPDATE 2 *** NY Times says it’s a done deal…
President Trump has commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois, the Democrat who was convicted of trying to essentially sell President Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat for personal gain, according to a person briefed on the decision.
Mr. Trump commuted the former governor’s sentence on Tuesday and is planning on announcing it soon, taking the action after saying for years that he was considering intervening in Mr. Blagojevich’s case.
By commuting the sentence, the president would free Mr. Blagojevich from prison without wiping out the conviction. Republicans have advised the president against it, arguing that Mr. Blagojevich’s crime epitomizes the corruption that Mr. Trump had said he wanted to tackle as president.
*** UPDATE 3 *** The president confirms…
…Adding… Common Cause Illinois Executive Director Jay Young…
While former Governor Rod Blagojevich will get to walk free, Illinois is still being held prisoner to the consequences of his long record of corruption, bribery, and abuse of power. President Trump’s commutation of Blagojevich’s sentence is the latest action by a lawless president to undermine ethics and accountability in our government. This decision is wrong and deprives the people of Illinois the justice they deserve. After consistently ignoring our nation’s ethics norms and laws for the last three years, President Trump has now chosen to side with the long line of Illinois politicians that have been imprisoned or had their careers ended due to corruption.
…Adding… Comptroller Mendoza…
No surprise. Birds of a feather flock together.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Gov. Pritzker…
Illinoisans have endured far too much corruption, and we must send a message to politicians that corrupt practices will no longer be tolerated. President Trump has abused his pardon power in inexplicable ways to reward his friends and condone corruption, and I deeply believe this pardon sends the wrong message at the wrong time. I’m committed to continuing to take clear and decisive steps this spring to prevent politicians from using their offices for personal gain, and I will continue to approach this work with that firm conviction.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Press release…
STATEMENT OF FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTION TRIAL TEAM AND FORMER UNITED STATES ATTORNEY REGARDING PRESIDENTIAL COMMUTATION IN U.S. V. BLAGOJEVICH
Reid J. Schar
Chris Niewoehner
Hon. Carrie E. Hamilton
Patrick J. Fitzgerald
CHICAGO ― The following statement was issued today regarding the President’s commutation of the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich:
“Although the President has exercised his lawful authority to commute the remaining portion of Mr. Blagojevich’s prison sentence, Mr. Blagojevich remains a felon, convicted of multiple serious acts of corruption as governor. The criminal conduct for which a jury unanimously convicted Mr. Blagojevich included the following actions:
(1) extorting the CEO of a children’s hospital by withholding important state funding to help sick children until the CEO provided campaign contributions;
(2) extorting the owners of a racetrack by intentionally holding up the signing of important state legislation until the owners provided campaign contributions in response to an explicit demand for them;
(3) extortionately demanding funding for a high-paying private sector job, as well as campaign contributions, in exchange for naming a replacement to an open U.S. Senate seat; and
(4) lying to the FBI to cover up his criminal activity.
The law and extensive facts underlying Mr. Blagojevich’s conviction were reviewed by independent judges on an appellate court and by the Supreme Court of the United States. These courts affirmed Mr. Blagojevich’s conviction and sentence, and the appellate court described the evidence against him as “overwhelming.”
Extortion by a public official is a very serious crime, routinely prosecuted throughout the United States whenever, as here, it can be detected and proven. That has to be the case in America: a justice system must hold public officials accountable for corruption. It would be unfair to their victims and the public to do otherwise.
While the President has the power to reduce Mr. Blagojevich’s sentence, the fact remains that the former governor was convicted of very serious crimes. His prosecution serves as proof that elected officials who betray those they are elected to serve will be held to account.”
Mr. Schar, Mr. Niewoehner, and Judge Hamilton are former Assistant United States Attorneys in Chicago who represented the government at trial in U.S.A. v. Blagojevich. Mr. Fitzgerald was the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois during the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Blagojevich. This statement is issued in their individual capacities.
…Adding… Jason Gerwig with Leader Brady’s office…
Leader Brady believes the sentence former Governor Rod Blagojevich received was justified and should have been served in its entirety.
*** UPDATE 6 *** Press release…
Congressmen Darin LaHood (IL-18), John Shimkus (IL-15), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Rodney Davis (IL-13), and Mike Bost (IL-12) released the following statement after the President commuted the sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
“We are disappointed by the President’s commutation of Rod Blagojevich’s federal sentence. We believe he received an appropriate and fair sentence, which was the low-end of the federal sentencing guidelines for the gravity of his public corruption convictions. 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. As our state continues to grapple with political corruption, we shouldn’t let those who breached the public trust off the hook. History will not judge Rod Blagojevich well.”
*** UPDATE 7 *** Sen. Durbin has said he would support commutation for Blagojevich. But here’s what he said on commutation day…
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after President Donald Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich:
“Former Governor Blagojevich betrayed the people of Illinois and engaged in a pattern of corrupt behavior for which he was held accountable and which cost him more than seven years of freedom.
“At a time when corruption by elected officials is still in the headlines, Illinois and Washington should move quickly to establish stricter ethics requirements, including the full detailed disclosure of income, net worth, and income tax returns by all elected officials.”
…Adding… From a Durbin spokesperson…
Senator Durbin has never lobbied any President to commute former Governor Blagojevich’s sentence.
…Adding… Press release…
Statement from Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs on President Donald Trump Granting Clemency to Former Governor Rod Blagojevich
“Eleven years ago, I voted to convict and remove a member of my own party who abused his office to further his own re‑election.
I wish that Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate had shown similar courage when a leader in their party abused his office to further his own re-election.
If that had happened, we would not be dealing with this today.
It is some comfort, however, that my motion to bar our former governor from ever holding public office again means he will no longer be able to abuse the public trust.”
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State Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch, a career attorney and certified administrative hearing officer, will lead the Qualifications Challenge Committee tasked with evaluating complaints against the appointment process of state Rep. Eva Dina Delgado. Welch released the following statement Tuesday:
“As a practicing attorney for more than 20 years and a certified administrative hearing officer trained to serve in a quasi-judicial role, I’ve dedicated my career to the pursuit of justice – and that same pursuit will guide the work of this committee. Just as in a court of law, our committee will pursue a fair process that reviews the complaints about the appointment process free of politics and outside influence.
“This process and these proceedings will be driven by the House rules, state statutes, the Illinois Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, and precedent – not by partisan politics.”
“It’s no secret that in recent months, bad actors in government have publicly marred the efforts of all legislators who serve with integrity. Restoring trust and confidence in our General Assembly demands we recommit ourselves to our fundamental belief in fairness and justice for all, free of bias or partisan influence.
“The committee will meet on Tuesday, February 25, at which time we will establish the rules and process for moving forward. Reviewing precedent and the House Rules, we know that this must be an expeditious process but also an equitable process that logically evaluates the complaints in the context of the existing rules and laws. All sides involved, as well as the people of our state, can know this committee will be fair, impartial and committed to a just and proper outcome.”
Since they’re not meeting until next week for an organizational meeting, they’ll have just nine calendar days to get this to the floor before the House adjourns for the spring primary. It could happen, but I’m not sure I’ll hold my breath.
…Adding… Rep. Welch tells me the other Democrats on the committee are Reps. Kelly Burke, John Connor, Fred Crespo and LaToya Greenwood.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
Below is the statement of Nidia Carranza, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 3rd District, on today’s announcement of a Qualifications Challenge Committee to investigate the appointment of corporate lobbyist Eva-Dina Delgado to the seat formerly held by indicted State Rep. Luis Arroyo.
“I applaud today’s creation of a committee to investigate the appointment of corporate lobbyist Eva-Dina Delgado to the seat formerly held by indicted State Rep. Luis Arroyo.
“From the outset, I denounced the appointment process as rigged and corrupt–exactly the opposite of what the working people of the 3rd District deserve. The appointment allowed the allies of Luis Arroyo, who has been charged with bribery in federal court, to hand-pick his successor.
“My opponent was not only silent about the obvious ethical concerns surrounding this process, but put her own ambitions ahead of the good of the 3rd District to accept the position. Enough is enough. We don’t need another lobbyist engaging in pay-to-play politics in Springfield. Fortunately, the voters will have their say on March 17.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** House GOP…
The following members will serve on the Qualifications Challenge Committee:
Patrick Windhorst
Avery Bourne
John Cabello
Blaine Wilhour
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* It’s unusual for a governor to endorse a primary opponent of a sitting (albeit appointed) legislator of his own party, but you dance with the ones what brung you…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday threw his support behind former campaign staffer Margaret Croke over Yoni Pizer and three other candidates in a North Side statehouse primary race that’s forcing some powerful Illinois Democrats to pick sides.
It’s a somewhat rare show of support from Pritzker, who has shied away from making endorsements for state representatives or senators. […]
Pritzker’s endorsement puts him at odds Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is supporting Pizer in the race. Pizer works as a community liaison for U.S. Rep Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and was an early supporter of Lightfoot when she was considered a long-shot candidate for City Hall’s fifth floor. […]
But they’re not the only powerful Democrats taking different sides in the race. Croke’s backers include City Clerk Anna Valencia; state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill; U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.; other Pritzker allies and several major organized labor groups. Pizer’s backers include Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago; state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago; and Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).
Croke also has most of organized labor behind her.
* Press release…
Today, Margaret Croke, candidate for Illinois State Representative in the 12th district received the endorsement of Governor JB Pritzker.
“Today I’m proud to endorse Margaret Croke as my home State Representative here in the 12th district. We need leaders in Springfield who have a deep knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing residents and families of our state,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “Margaret has been a leader and activist fighting to protect women’s health and reproductive rights. She is a thoughtful and engaged advocate for early childhood education, college affordability, and more economic opportunities - the kind of leader you and your family can depend on. I’ve known Margaret for years, and I’m grateful for the key role she played in my campaign for governor. Margaret is my choice and the best candidate to represent the people of our great 12th district.”
Croke currently serves as a member of the leadership team at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity where her work includes supporting small business opportunities and job creation.
“I am honored and grateful to receive the support of Governor Pritzker who has provided the leadership and vision needed to help steer our great state through a very challenging time, but much more work remains,” said Margaret Croke. “While I was given an incredible opportunity to join the Governor in this fight as a member of his administration, my skills and passion for this work can be far more impactful representing the residents and families of the 12th district. We need leaders in Springfield who have a depth of knowledge around the issues we must tackle in order to fix our financial challenges while ensuring critical services are provided to our most vulnerable citizens. I offer a level of experience and tenacity that we must demand in our next representative and hope to earn the support of the residents and families of this district to serve as their voice in Springfield.”
Croke is a progressive activist who is committed to stimulating the state’s economy, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and expanding early childhood education. Croke began her political career as a community organizer, standing up against campus sexual assault and supporting women running for office.
In addition to support from Governor Pritzker, Croke has received several endorsements from Democratic elected officials, including Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, City Clerk of Chicago Anna Valencia and State Senator Andy Manar, among others. Croke has also received the endorsement of the Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Yoni Pizer responds…
As the first openly gay State Rep. of the 12th District, I’m looking forward to working with the Governor when I get to Springfield on Tuesday to address the challenges facing our communities. From passing much-needed ethics reforms, expanding healthcare, protecting our environment, and ensuring the safety of the LGBTQ+ community, there’s a lot to be done and I’m excited to get to work.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
State Senator Sara Feigenholtz on Monday endorsed Yoni Pizer in the Democratic primary election for the House seat she held for 24 years, calling Pizer “the best candidate to represent the diverse needs of the 12th District.”
“In the 24 years I proudly served as the State Representative of the 12th District, I have endorsed countless candidates for various public offices. However, endorsing a successor comes with much emotion, weight, and promise,” said Fegenholtz.
“The people of this district need a deeply rooted, longtime resident and advocate for our community and Yoni Pizer is the candidate who checks all of those boxes. His unflinching support of a woman’s right to choose, access to health care, ethics reform and protecting our environment are his top priorities. He has a keen knowledge of small business issues that are core to sustaining the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
“In the years that I have served, I realize how representation matters. Yoni is an openly gay Jewish person who moved to Lakeview with his husband and raised two sons right here in our neighborhood because he felt safe and at home. He is emblematic of the diversity of this district. At a time when hate crimes and antisemitism are on the rise, we need leaders like Yoni fighting for our community in Springfield.”
“I’m grateful to have the endorsement of Sen. Feigenholtz,” said Rep. Pizer. “For 24 years, Sara has represented our community with honest, effective, and progressive leadership,” said Rep. Pizer. “When others wouldn’t stand up for the LGBTQ+ community, Sara stood in solidarity with us. Sara’s been a loud, proud, and clear voice for the Jewish community and has fought back against all forms of hate. I look forward to working with Senator Feigenholtz on the issues that matter most, like protecting the right to choose, passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act, and ensuring Illinois never becomes a so-called ‘right-to-work’ state. Sen. Feigenholz and I both know that representation of our communities is critically important now more than ever. I look forward to following in her footsteps and working alongside her in Springfield.”
Sen. Feigenholz held the 12th District State Representative seat until last month, when she was appointed to the Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. John Cullerton. Democratic Party committee members then voted to appoint Pizer to the 12th District seat for which he is also a candidate in the March 17 Democratic primary election.
In addition to serving as Community Liaison for Congressman Quigley for the past five years, and running two small businesses, Pizer has been a grassroots organizer for Democratic presidential candidates for several decades. Pizer lives with his husband, Brad Lippitz, in East Lakeview, where they have raised their two sons. Pizer is the first openly LGBTQ+ representative of Illinois’ 12th state house District, which includes the Gold Coast, Near North, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Buena Park neighborhoods.
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