Blagojevich Will Stay In Prison: Court Nixes Appeal

A panel of three judges on Friday nixed former Governor Rod Blagojevich's appeal and upheld his 14-year sentence on corruption charges. The disgraced Democrat was convicted in 2011 and has made several failed bids to get out of jail, including asking former President Barack Obama to commute his sentence and a disappointing re-sentencing. Blagojevich, 60, has already served more than five years in prison.

In March 2016, prosecutors asked a judge to re-sentence the former governor after five of his corruption charges were thrown out. Blagojevich wanted a new sentence of five years, but a judge instead gave him the same sentence: 14 years.

Blagojevich was originally found guilty on 18 corruption charges — including an attempt to "sell" Obama's U.S. Senate seat after his election to the presidency. He was famously heard on a federal wiretap peppered with profane comments as he discussed the appointment he could make and what he could get in exchange. "I've got this thing, and it's f---ing golden," he said on the wiretap.

On Friday, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a six-page decision keeping the 14-year term intact, dismissing letters of support from more than 100 of Blagojevich's fellow inmates.

“Blagojevich’s treatment of fellow inmates may show that outside of office he is an admirable person, but the court was entitled to impose punishment that reflects how Blagojevich behaved when he had a different menu of opportunities and to deter those who hold office today,” Circuit Judge Frank Easterbrook wrote.

The decision contains a nod to the three judges' earlier opinion in 2015, in which they wrote, “It is not possible to call 168 months unlawfully high for Blagojevich’s crimes.”

The ruling could set Blagojevich up to make another appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Chicago Tribune reported. Last year, the Supreme Court refused to hear his case.

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