Illinois House Republicans are not happy after Trump commuted the sentence of Blagojevich, who they called the face of public corruption.
Here is the statement from the Illinois House Republican delegation:
The Illinois Republican delegation is not happy.
"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." pic.twitter.com/nyn3Av0wQ6
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— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) February 18, 2020
It is rare to see Republicans criticize any move that Trump has made, but The New York Times reported that Trump ignored warnings from Republicans not to commute the sentence of Blagojevich:
Mr. Trump commuted the former governor’s sentence on Tuesday 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.
Republicans see what Trump doesn’t. The commutation of Blagojevich’s sentence puts a big neon on sign on Donald Trump’s corruption. Trump ran on draining the swamp, but he is restocking it with some of its most criminal elements.
Rod Blagojevich tried to sell a US Senate seat, and Donald Trump let him out of prison. The ads write themselves, as this move will come back to haunt Trump in November.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
