Trump Grants Clemency to Rod Blagojevich, Pardons Bernie Kerik

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 02:00:54 PM EST
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It's a big pardon day for Donald Trump. He commuted the 14 year sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich who has served 8 years, and pardoned former junk bond king Michael Milken (who served 22 months and was released in 1993) and former NYC police chief Bernie Kerik (convicted of tax fraud for which he served 3 years of his four year sentence).

I wrote about the Blagojevich trial extensively and have always believed his 14 year sentence was unduly severe.

In 2010, Bernie Kerik reported to prison to serve a 48 month sentence for 48 month sentence for crimes related to under-reporting the value of renovations on a personal residence and making false statements on his Homeland Security application. (He had been nominated for Chief of HHS by his former buddy Rudy Giuliani).

Trump also pardoned a former NFL guy I never heard of who backed one of his fundraisers and former junk bond king Michael Milken (famously perp-walked while Rudy was Mayor).

Blago was on Celebrity Apprentice -- he and Trump interacted. Either the Times got this quote wrong or Trump has lost his marbles:

“Yes, we commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich,” Mr. Trump told reporters just before boarding Air Force One for a four-day trip to the west coast where he is scheduled to hold three campaign rallies. “He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person, don’t know him.”

The Court of Appeals struck 5 of Blago's counts of conviction, most if not all relating to the supposed sale of the senate seat. It found the jury instructions on these counts improper, as they could have allowed the jury to convict on lawful log-rolling rather than illegal bribery. More on that here. The judge on resentencing gave him the same 14 year sentence.

I have no problem with Trump's clemency decisions -- I wish there were more of them and that some went to people with no connection to him. I think he's trying to show that he, not judges, controls the criminal justice system. Donald Trump may win against Congress but I think the federal judiciary will stand up to his attempts to interfere in pending cases.

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Trump Grants Clemency to Rod Blagojevich, Pardons Bernie Kerik | 24 comments (24 topical)

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Yay! (none / 0) (#1)
by Chuck0 on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 02:21:15 PM EST

More pardons and clemency for high profile white guys.

The other three commutation recipients (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by Peter G on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 07:42:49 PM EST

besides Blogojevich today are women of color (two hispanic, one black). Sponsored by this group.


: sorry about misspelling (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by Peter G on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 08:56:11 PM EST

Blago's name. And by pointing out this fact about today's other commutation recipients I don't for a moment mean to suggest that the current Administration's process is a good one or that their choices represent good clemency policy. (I just think that while criticizing Tr*mp for his endless lies and favoritism, we have to adhere ourselves to a high standard of truth, or we are truly lost.) There are thousands of unjust sentences in the system being served by folks who do not have a way of getting Tr*mp's personal and whimsical attention. And more thousands who have fully served their sentences and become positive forces in their families and communities, who deserve pardons. There was a system, called the Office of Pardon Attorney, in the DOJ for receiving and vetting applications from those folks. Sometime around the Bush I administration, it got sidetracked by politics. Each administration since has been somewhat better or somewhat worse, and none as bad as the present one (which does not use the regular channel at all), but none has reverted to the historical norm, which was a steady pipeline of fairly reviewed cases, leading to hundreds of grants per year (of either sentence commutations or full pardons), every year.

I was just going to say the same thing. (none / 0) (#2)
by leap on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 04:55:18 PM EST

Yay for corrupt and connected white men. What about the hundreds of thousands of deserving other Americans? Too bad, so sad.


Just warming up. (none / 0) (#3)
by KeysDan on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 05:26:58 PM EST

Stone, Manafort, Rudy, Flynn, Jared's father...the swampier the more likely. Not so much justice as flaunting of the rule of law.

Rod Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office by Illinois' Democratic legislature. His attempt to sell the US Senate seat vacated by Obama upon his election as president was an unlawful and corrupt abuse of power--a legal prerogative used for illegal and corrupt purposes. And, his shakedown of Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital for his own private benefit was the hardihood of public corruption.

Trump has not a drop of empathy, but he probably saw Blago as a cohort in victimhood. After all, Blago's brazen corruption was conducted on the telephone....crimes do not count on the phone, always a "perfect call".

Trump believes, no doubt, that Democrats will greet the commutation of Blago's sentence with glee. The same miscalculation made with the firing of Comey. Surely, the Democrats will be delighted that Comey was gone after his egregious handling of Hillary's email investigation.

However, as discussed previously on TL, Blagojevich's sentence was too long, especially after the Court of Appeals struck the five counts. But, the years served, as it turns out, was about the right term.

: Pardons (none / 0) (#4)
by FlJoe on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 06:12:42 PM EST

for fun and profit
For the most part, these pardons affected people who have received praise and sympathy from pundits on Fox News. But one pardon in particular stands out: that of construction executive Paul Pogue, who was sentenced to three years probation after evading $473,000 in taxes.
According to The Daily Beast, "Pogue's family has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct contributions and in-kind air travel to the Trump Victory Fund. Beginning in August 2019, Ben Pogue -- CEO of Pogue Construction and son of Paul Pogue -- and his wife Ashleigh made over $200,000 in contributions to the campaign."

This is exactly why I got out of public service. (none / 0) (#5)
by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 06:41:49 PM EST

I worked really hard and honestly tried to do a good job, but it got terribly frustrating to watch people repeatedly come in through the back door to get what otherwise couldn't be gotten through regular channels without drawing serious scrutiny. And there was precious little I could do about it.

Sweet Mother of Gawd, Blago put the screws to Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago while he was governor -- a friggin' children's hospital! I mean, who DOES that? He even attempted to strongarm MLB's Chicago Cubs, who needed state approval for the renovation of Wrigley Field. (You try to shake down the Chicago Mob like that, and you'll soon find yourself chained to cement blocks at the bottom of Lake Michigan or the Rock River.)

Hardly surprising, I know, in a state where five of the last dozen governors have done time behind bars for corruption, but Jeez, Jeralyn! No, 14 years wasn't excessive for violating the public trust so freely and cavalierly as he did. Somebody needs to draw the line in Illinois, which is one of the two most corrupt states in the union (Louisiana being the other) -- and if the feds won't do it, then who will?

Speaking for myself only in this respect, Blago is the sort of scumbag who gives the general public a valid reason to be cynical about our elected officials. One of the primary reasons why our country is in its present fix is because far too many of us have developed a rather remarkable penchant for tolerating, excusing and enabling public corruption. And now with Trump in high office, that knack for looking the other way has come full circle to bite us hard in the a$$. These people are just rubbing our face in it.

Now, dammit, where's my bong when I need it?

That would be Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. (none / 0) (#6)
by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Feb 18, 2020 at 07:11:10 PM EST

Jeralyn: "Trump also pardoned a former NFL guy I never heard of who backed one of his fundraisers[.]"

The now-former owner of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers pleaded guilty to a felony corruption charge in 1998 for having failed to report that he had been solicited for a $400,000 bribe by then-Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards (D), in exchange for a successful riverboat casino license application to the State Gaming Commission. He subsequently paid the bribe and received the license.

And yes, Edwin Edwards was a Democrat. This occurred not too long after he had defeated Republican candidate (and erstwhile KKK leader) David Duke in the 1991 Louisiana gubernatorial election, having literally campaigned on the slogan "VOTE FOR THE CROOK: IT'S IMPORTANT".

Maybe Republicans don't want to call out their own when it comes to public corruption. That doesn't mean we should emulate that sort of enabling behavior.

(Read the comments in the SF Chronicle article I linked, and you'll see examples of that, in which it's somehow okay for DeBartolo to have done what he did because hey, the guy put together a winning Super Bowl championship team!)

Aloha.

It would be nice (none / 0) (#9)
by NoSides on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 07:59:03 AM EST

if Manning and Assange could find their way into some sort of relief from persecution.

Create a well-stocked pantry for Asian recipes (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by leap on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 09:12:03 AM EST

Q: I hope to do more Southeast Asian cooking. Can you tell me what I should keep on hand?

A: A well-planned and well-stocked pantry makes whipping up Southeast Asian meals a snap. While you can certainly venture off to Southeast Asian markets, know that for the most part you can create authentic meals with ingredients that are readily available. For starters, stock your refrigerator with lemon grass, garlic, ginger, scallions and shallots at all times. Your dry storage should never be without fish sauce, the salt of Southeast Asia, rice vinegar, curry powder, cinnamon sticks and star anise.

Other good additions include:
STARCHES
Rice
Rice noodles
Rice paper
SAUCES
Sriracha (a hot Thai sauce)
Sweet soy sauce
Mushroom soy sauce
Hoisin sauce
Fish sauce
SPICES AND PASTES
Curry paste
Coriander
Mint
Thai basil
Thai chilies
Kaffir lime leaves
Galangal, which resembles ginger in appearance but tastes citrusy
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Daikon radishes
Mung beans
Green papaya and mango
OTHER
Coconut milk
Tea, black or green
Palm sugar


'Relief from persecution'? LOL! (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 01:38:33 PM EST

In my opinion, Julian Assange deserves the fate he's so deliberately courted. Here, read this:

The Guardian | February 19, 2020
Donald Trump 'offered Julian Assange a pardon if he denied Russia link to hack' - "Donald Trump offered Julian Assange a pardon if he would say Russia was not involved in leaking Democratic party emails, a court in London has been told. The extraordinary claim was made at Westminster magistrates court before the opening next week of Assange's legal battle to block attempts to extradite him to the US."

You know, I make an genuine effort to keep myself apprised of what's going on, and that means seeking out sources for news that might otherwise lie outside my preferred political echo chamber.

You should make a far better effort to do the same if you're going to keep posting here. Because honestly, I find very few things in political discussions more insufferable than the assertive self-righteousness of the sincerely ignorant and conscientiously stupid -- and I know I'm not the only one here who feels this way.

Aloha.


Assange actually has (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by Jeralyn on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 02:49:49 PM EST

a substantial group of supporters who believe he is a political prisoner. One of them is Kim Dotcom. Dotcom was a Trump supporter, believing the Democrats run the Hollywood film industry which he believes is behind the push for his extradition. But now he doesn't like Trump either -- I wonder if overtures were made to Trump for a dismissal of his Indictment or withdrawal of the U.S. request to extradite.

I empathize with anyone who has had their life put in limbo for 7 years (Dotcom) never knowing when the next shoe will drop. Same for Assange, who spent all those years in the Ecuadorian embassy knowing if he stepped outside he'd be arrested.

Please don't tell other readers what to post and not post here or what other readers here believe. Only a fraction of users comment at all, so you have no idea what those who merely read believe. And, it's my place to do that, not yours. Also, please do not refer to another commenter as ignorant or stupid. That is name-calling and not allowed here.

There has been very little aggression in comments since I banned the most right wing extremist commenters. Please show some tolerance for those who disagree with your views. There is no need to mock them or insult them.


I've no sympathy for Assange, Jeralyn. (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 06:02:01 PM EST

He chose to seek asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy to avoid being questioned by Swedish authorities regarding alleged sexual abuse allegations against him. Nobody compelled him to do that. He was not under indictment in the United States at the time.

Further, it's telling that Assange abused the generosity of his hosts. The very future of our country's democratic institutions presently hangs in the balance, thanks in no small part to Assange's efforts in 2016 in concert with the Russian intelligence services to elect Trump all conducted while he was a guest of Ecuador. And I'm not going to quibble in this matter with adverbs like "alleged." He did do it and further, he's freely admitted having done so.

Assange deliberately sought to undermine our 2016 presidential election without any due regard for the consequences, which caused us serious harm and damage. I'd no sooner empathize with his present predicament in Britain, than I would have the same for the late William Joyce back in 1945.

As for the rest of your post, your point is well point taken and I apologize to you for my increasing impatience with some folks. I'll not post any further in this thread.

IMO liking Julian more (none / 0) (#13)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 03:21:09 PM EST

Julian Assange says he was promised a Trump pardon if he would lie about Russia's DNC hacking

James Doleman
@jamesdoleman
Breaking, at pre-trial hearing for Julian Assange a court has heard that he will be calling a witness who will allege he was offered a pardon by the US government, if he would say Russia was not involved in the leak of DNC documents during the 2006 election.
10.1K
10:18 AM - Feb 19, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy

Oops (none / 0) (#14)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 03:24:59 PM EST

Should have read the comment you replied to

Sorry


Dana Rohrabacher (none / 0) (#15)
by KeysDan on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 03:46:34 PM EST

former 15-term Republican from Orange County, CA, was, supposedly the broker--a pardon in exchange for publicly denying Russia hacked the DNC servers in 2016. A quid pro quo.

Kevin McCarthy, in a tape recorded conversation with Paul Ryan was reported to say that he thought both Trump and Rohrabacher were on Putin's payroll. Certainly, Rohrabacher. was palling around with the Russian leader, even arm wrestling him

The White House says Trump does not know the former Congressman.


Exactly (none / 0) (#20)
by TrevorBolder on Thu Feb 20, 2020 at 06:46:09 PM EST

The White House says Trump does not know the former Congressman.

Truth and accuracy in todays "journalism" is gone in the era of Trump


: Right. (none / 0) (#24)
by leap on Thu Feb 20, 2020 at 08:06:43 PM EST

And FatNixon nevers lies.

Fake News (none / 0) (#19)
by TrevorBolder on Thu Feb 20, 2020 at 06:43:44 PM EST

Trump never offered Assange anything. Rohrbacher went over to speak with Assange, on his own. He had no authority or direction to offer anything to Assange. But it fans the flames, so it is written. The Guardian has done that quite a bit , they have screwed up every Assange story they write...most notably that brilliant piece of creative writing that stated Manafort met with Assange.
The Guardian is afraid of what truth Assange can really tell


If you mean (5.00 / 2) (#21)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Feb 20, 2020 at 06:55:41 PM EST

The truth that Trump offered him a pardon to lie, as court documents say, I don't really think they are that afraid.


Can't (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by FlJoe on Thu Feb 20, 2020 at 07:00:16 PM EST

you read? This allegation was attested to in a British court. Maybe Assange is lying, although it's hard to say why. Maybe Rohrbacher is lying and it's quite easy to see why. Random congress critters offering pardons to suspects to lie, WTF?

In any case it's ludicrous to screech fake news over this story.


: Fake News (none / 0) (#23)
by TrevorBolder on Thu Feb 20, 2020 at 07:06:03 PM EST

The article says Assange was offered a Trump pardon, Trump never offered Assange a pardon. And it wasn't for Assange to lie, it was for Assange to testify to the truth, that he received the e mails from someone other than Russia.
Assange has always stated that, it wasn't Russia that hacked the DNC.

But wait, there's more (none / 0) (#16)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Feb 19, 2020 at 04:58:27 PM EST

Trump Canceled Out Kerik's $103K Debt to Taxpayers
February 19, 2020 at 2:52 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 47 Comments
In addition to clearing his record, President Trump's pardon of former New York City police chief Bernard Kerik also cancels out $103,300 in restitution that Kerik still owed the Internal Revenue Service as part of his sentence, the New York Daily News reports.

: I bet (none / 0) (#18)
by jmacWA on Thu Feb 20, 2020 at 05:16:28 AM EST

part of the deal, was that instead of paying the IRS, Kerik will now donate it to the tRump campaign