The unlikely friendship of two politicians

In the world of politics, things are not always as they seem. For instance, imagine if a former governor, who was once known for his corruption, suddenly got a big break from a president. This is exactly what happened to Rod Blagojevich, the ex-governor of Illinois. President Trump was the one who made the big decision to pardon him. Trump had a reason for this action. According to him, Blagojevich had been treated unfairly by the justice system. Trump believed that Blagojevich was a victim of political targeting and he mentioned that former special counsel Robert Mueller and former FBI Director James Comey were involved in pursuing Blagojevich. Blagojevich was first arrested in 2008. He had been accused of trying to sell a Senate seat that had been vacated by Barack Obama. This led to his impeachment and removal from office. However, his legal troubles did not end there. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his actions. He served 8 years before President Trump commuted his sentence in 2020. Blagojevich and Trump met when Blagojevich was a contestant on Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" show in 2010. Trump was impressed by Blagojevich's personality and his wife's fight to get him out of trouble. Trump's pardon was a way for him to show his support for the former governor. However, it is unclear why Trump did not pardon Blagojevich in 2020 when he commuted his sentence. Trump's decision to pardon Blagojevich is also a way for him to continue his feud against the justice system. Trump had been critical of federal and state prosecutors who had indicted him in multiple cases. He also called for the firing of prosecutors who were assigned to cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Blagojevich's pardon has been controversial. Senator Dick Durbin and state Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs criticized the decision. They believed that Blagojevich's actions were a stain on Illinois's political history. Despite the controversy, Blagojevich has moved on. He has said that he and Trump have both been victims of "lawfare" and politically motivated prosecutors. He has also said that he never broke any laws or took any money while in office. Blagojevich's political career began when he married Patti Mell, the daughter of powerful Alderman Dick Mell. He was elected to the state House in 1993 and to a congressional seat in 1997. He won his first term as governor in 2002. However, his career ended in scandal when he was arrested in 2008. The Illinois General Assembly's impeachment of Blagojevich means he cannot seek a state office again. A pardon does not change that. Blagojevich has said that he will not seek elected office again.