Here is a look at the life of Rod Blagojevich, former governor of Illinois who served eight years in federal prison.
Personale
Data di nascita: dicembre 10, 1956
Luogo di nascita: Chicago, Illinois
Nome di nascita: Rod Blagojevich (has no middle name, uses the initial R to honor his father)
Padre: Rade Blagojevich, steelworker
Madre: Millie (Govedarica) Blagojevich
Marriage: Patricia (Mell) Blagojevich (1990-presente)
Bambini: Anne and Amy
Formazione scolastica: Northwestern University, B.A., 1979; Pepperdine University, J.D., 1983
Altri fatti
Last name is pronounced Bluh-GOY-uh-vitch.
His father was a prisoner of war for four years in a Nazi camp during seconda guerra mondiale.
Sequenza temporale
1986-1988 – Assistant state’s attorney in Cook County, Illinois.
1992-1996 – Serves in the Illinois House, representing the 33rd District.
1996-2002 – US Representative from Illinois’s 5th District.
novembre 2002 – Becomes the first Democrat elected governor of Illinois in 30 anni.
gennaio 13, 2003 – Is sworn in as the 40th governor of Illinois.
gennaio 8, 2007 – Is sworn in for a second term as governor of Illinois.
dicembre 9, 2008 – Is taken into federal custody on corruption charges. He is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, are accused of “conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits” by leveraging his authority to appoint a US senator to replace President-elect Barack Obama.
dicembre 30, 2008 – Blagojevich appoints former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by Obama.
gennaio 9, 2009 – The Illinois House of Representatives votes to impeach Blagojevich. The vote is 114-1.
gennaio 26, 2009 – Impeachment hearings begin in the Illinois Senate. Blagojevich does not attend, choosing instead to appear on “Larry King Vivere,” “La vista,” e “Good Morning America.”
gennaio 29, 2009 – The Illinois Senate votes unanimously to remove Blagojevich and to bar him from holding political office in Illinois again.
aprile 2, 2009 – Indicted on 16 felony counts by a federal grand jury.
aprile 14, 2009 – Blagojevich pleads not guilty.
giugno 13, 2009 – Appears in a Chicago comedy show “Rod Blagojevich Superstar.”
September 8, 2009 – Blagojevich’s autobiography, “The Governor” is published.
giugno 3, 2010 – Blagojevich’s trial on corruption charges begins.
agosto 17, 2010 – The jury in Blagojevich’s trial returns its verdict after deliberating for 14 giorni. He is found guilty of making false statements to federal investigators. The jury is unable to come to a decision on 23 other counts.
febbraio 24, 2011 – A federal judge drops three of 23 corruption charges against Blagojevich.
Maggio 2, 2011 – Blagojevich’s retrial begins.
giugno 27, 2011 – The jury comes back with 17 guilty verdicts, one not guilty and two counts deadlocked.
luglio 25, 2011 – Blagojevich files a 158-page motion requesting an acquittal or a new trial, citing fundamentally unfair proceedings.
dicembre 7, 2011 – Sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
marzo 15, 2012 – Reports to Englewood Federal Correctional Institution in Colorado to begin serving a 14-year sentence.
luglio 15, 2013 – Blagojevich’s lawyers appeal his conviction to the 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals, claiming the trial judge failed to explain to jurors that “political deal-making” can be legal and “misled the jury by failing to explain the legal distinction between campaign contributions and bribes.”
luglio 21, 2015 – The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturns five counts against Blagojevich, saying the prosecutors did not prove that he broke the law when trying to sell Obama’s old Senate seat.
agosto 19, 2015 – The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals denies Blagojevich a rehearing. Blagojevich will now ask the US Supreme Court to overturn his remaining convictions and sentence.
marzo 30, 2016 – Two days after the Supreme Court declines to hear Blagojevich’s appeal, federal prosecutors file a motion asking a US District Judge to schedule a resentencing date for the former governor. Prosecutors will not retry Blagojevich on the five charges that were overturned by the appeals court.
agosto 9, 2016 – US District Judge James Zagel imposes the same 14-year sentence against Blagojevich, despite pleas for a reduced term.
September 11, 2017 – Blagojevich’s first interview since he was sent to prison is published in Chicago magazine.
novembre 3, 2017 – Blagojevich submits a second request to overturn his conviction and sentencing to the US Supreme Court. This comes after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his request for a rehearing earlier this year.
giugno 5, 2018 – Files the clemency paperwork, officially asking Presidente Donald Trump to commute his prison sentence. The move comes days after Trump told reporters he was considering commuting Blagojevich’s sentence.
luglio 12, 2019 – Rev. Jesse Jackson signs a letter encouraging Trump to grant a full pardon to Blagojevich.
agosto 7, 2019 – Trump tells reporters he wants to commute Blagojevich’s sentence because the former governor was “treated unbelievably unfairly.” The next day Trump tweets that White House staff is continuing to review “the possibility of commuting” Blagojevich’s sentence.
febbraio 18, 2020 – Trump announces he has commuted Blagojevich’s prison sentence, and he is released after serving eight years of a 14-year sentence.
Maggio 14, 2020 – Blagojevich’s podcast “Lightning Rod” debutta.
Maggio 18, 2020 – Is disbarred by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Blagojevich: Trump didn’t have to do this 00:30
