reSee.it - Related Post Feed
reSee.it AI Summary
I just heard that Bill Clinton might be seeking a pardon for Hillary after reports that he could discuss it with Biden. This follows Hillary's recent appearance on The View, where she stated she wasn't looking for a pardon. Things have definitely taken a turn.
@dom_lucre - Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives
🔥🚨BREAKING: it is being reported that Bill Clinton is working on a pardon for his wife Hillary Clinton after DailyMail claims that Bill might talk to Biden about preemptive pardon for Hillary so President Elect Trump can't send her to jail. This comes after Clinton went on the View to claim he wasn’t looking for a pardon, things changed fast.
@nicksortor - Nick Sortor
🚨 WTF?! Joe Biden just pardoned multiple Chinese spies and an individual convicted of possessing child p*rnography WHY? 39 MORE DAYS UNTIL THIS CRAP IS OVER. https://t.co/W8QWIP7ajQ
@amuse - @amuse
PARDON? Biden just commuted the sentence of Rita Crundwell, former comptroller of Dixon, IL who stole $53 million from city taxpayers to buy hundreds of American Quarter Horses. Why? https://t.co/ymfgA3CpAb
@DonaldJTrumpJr - Donald Trump Jr.
Yes this!!!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@RealAlexJones - Alex Jones
Biden issues 11th hour pardons of globalist crime syndicate members! The DEEP STATE is running scared! https://t.co/jVR0PvozSP
Video Transcript AI Summary
Biden recently pardoned Mark Milley, Dr. Fauci, and the January 6 committee, which was illegally formed and manipulated evidence. Milley allegedly assured the Chinese general that he had control over nuclear codes, while Fauci misled Congress about gain-of-function research. These actions protect key figures in a larger power structure. Trump is determined to confront these threats, as they have attempted to undermine him. The globalist agenda is increasingly being recognized as deceitful, and the public is growing frustrated. It's crucial to inform the left that their influence is waning. As they continue their destructive behavior, it fuels resistance against their globalist system. The fight against this agenda must continue, and there is a call to dismantle it entirely.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: The globalist crime syndicate is in deep trouble, and that's why Biden, an hour ago, pardoned the treasonous, Mark Milley, the totally wicked mad scientist, doctor Fauci, and, of course, the illegal fraudulent j six committee. J six committee was not just illegally constituted according to congressional law. Republicans couldn't vote for what they wanted on it. They falsified evidence, falsified documents, manipulated and coached witnesses, and then destroyed all the evidence of j 6. They used that to drag net up all the evidence of how the Fed states it, and that's all coming out.
Even more is coming up. It's already been totally proven. Milley called the Chinese top general and said, I'm really in charge. I got the nuclear codes. Trump is in charge.
And then later bragged about it. You know about Fauci line of congress, gain a function, everything else he did. So they had to protect those people because they're they're the minions of the larger power structure. And Trump means business. I mean, they tried to kill him twice.
He understands that if he doesn't go after them, they're just gonna reconstitute, come after him. So this is an all or nothing situation. They went too far. They fucked around and found out. So you're gonna see a lot of other craziness.
They're still gonna try to kill Trump, but the whole world's turning against them. People are really understanding it because of just the 1,000 and 1,000 and 1,000 of lies and the corporate media and the lawfare and just all of it. And, you know, the minions of the globalist though are like Japanese soldiers. You know, 29 years, they found the last one after World War 2. On an island, it was, you know, shooting at fishing boats that were coming by because he thought the war was still going.
So somehow we gotta let the left know the AOCs and the rest of them. Hey. You lost. But, you know, never interrupt an enemy when they're destroying themselves, as Napoleon said, because the fact that they just keep acting like total criminals that they are and doing all this crap and attacking people online just continues to piss people off so we don't go back to sleep and make sure we dismantle their old WEF global System Worldwide. I'll be covering the inauguration live today at real off shows on x@info wars.com.
Wanna salute you all for breaking the conditioning and the mind control, but now we've gotta finish these globalist off. It's our duty. God bless you all.
@mazemoore - MAZE
December, 2020. Jake Tapper asks President-elect Biden about the rumor that Trump may issue some preemptive pardons before leaving office. Biden: You're not going to see me do that. 🤣 https://t.co/YNyS0Qk9yY
Video Transcript AI Summary
President Trump is reportedly considering a series of preemptive pardons. This raises concerns about the precedent it sets and how it affects the perception of the U.S. as a nation of laws. In our administration, we will not adopt this approach to pardons or make policy decisions through social media. Our focus will be on a fundamentally different approach to the justice system.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: President Trump is, reportedly considering a wave of of preemptive pardons. Does this concern you, all these preemptive pardons?
Speaker 1: Well, it's, it concerns me in terms of, what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and injustice. You're not gonna see, in our administration that kind of approach to pardons, nor are you gonna see in our administration, the approach to making policy by tweets. You know, it's just gonna be a totally different way in which we approach the justice system.
@EndWokeness - End Wokeness
10 days ago, Biden said he will only pardon individuals who committed crimes. Today he pardoned Fauci, Milley, Cheney, EVERYONE on the J/6th Committee. https://t.co/VsJfysYSDQ
Video Transcript AI Summary
Have you ruled out a pardon for yourself or family members?
Yes, I have. What would I pardon myself for? I have no intention of pardoning myself because I didn't do anything wrong.
Could you comment on Meta's decision to...
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: So, sir, on pardons, have you ruled out a pardon for yourself or any other additional members of the family?
Speaker 1: For myself? Yes, sir. What would I pardon myself for?
Speaker 0: That's what I'm asking. No.
Speaker 1: I have no contemplation of pardoning myself in there. I didn't do anything wrong.
Speaker 0: Mister president, would you comment on Meta's decision to
@libsoftiktok - Libs of TikTok
FLASHBACK: Chuck Schumer on Trump potentially issuing preemptive pardons: “That would be a gross abuse of the presidential pardon authority” Any comment on Biden’s preemptive pardons @SenSchumer? https://t.co/kNNRYMhpkU
Video Transcript AI Summary
The president appears focused on self-interest and grievances as his term nears its end. He is reportedly inquiring about the possibility of issuing preemptive pardons for himself, his family, and Rudy Giuliani. The clear answer is no; this would constitute a serious misuse of presidential pardon power.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: The president seems intent on filling each of his remaining days in office with petulance, grievance, self interest. The president's reportedly asking his staff about whether he can preemptive part, whether he can issue. President's reportedly asking his staff whether he can issue preemptive pardons for himself, his family members, Rudy Giuliani. There's a simple answer. No.
No, mister president. That would be a gross abuse of the presidential pardon authority.
@EndWokeness - End Wokeness
Preemptive pardons are proof of guilt, right Dems? Right media? Right? https://t.co/yu0ktHzbiW
Video Transcript AI Summary
Have you ever heard of someone innocent receiving a preemptive pardon? It seems unlikely, especially when it involves the president's family and associates. Seeking pardons suggests concern over potential wrongdoing. If someone is innocent, why would they need a pardon? Preemptive pardons imply that crimes may have occurred, even if not publicly known. If the president grants these pardons, it could be seen as protecting his family from external threats, but it raises questions about guilt. The idea of a permanent pardon for individuals like Giuliani or the president's children is troubling, especially if they haven't been convicted of any crime. If the president pardons anyone, many would interpret it as an admission of guilt. Recently, it was reported that President Biden will pardon his son, Hunter Biden.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Have you ever heard of somebody getting a preemptive pardon who was innocent of all crime? Who's just an innocent person? Have you ever heard of that? Just somebody getting a blanket pardon and they're an innocent person?
Speaker 1: But no. It's the president's own family. It's, people that have been covering up for the president, in addition to his own family.
Speaker 2: Is there an innocent explanation for someone to seek preemptive pardons for family members. Would you do that, if you knew you were innocent and just worried about outside forces?
Speaker 3: The the answer to that is gonna be, no. If you haven't done anything wrong, you sit there and go, what do you need a preemptive pardon for?
Speaker 4: If he pardons people preemptively, he's essentially telling the public that these people have committed crimes. And we may not be aware of what they are, but the pardon is clear evidence that crimes have been committed.
Speaker 5: I imagine if he decides to issue these preemptive pardons, it will be cast in a way that he is protecting his family and protecting their reputations from, you know, villainous exterior forces that are against him.
Speaker 6: First off, we should just take a deep breath and acknowledge, the audacity of a president
Speaker 7: who's so clearly concerned about his own criminal culpability and
Speaker 6: that of his family. Concerned about his own criminal culpability and that of his family members that pardons are a major obsession with him.
Speaker 7: The idea of a kind of prospective pardon, this sort of permanent federal get out of jail free card, that that seems to be what we're talking about in the case of this, right, with Giuliani and his 3 eldest children who, as far we know, don't have not been convicted of a crime. Maybe they've committed a lot, and they don't they don't wanna face action. I don't know. It's weird. I wouldn't ask for a pardon.
I don't think I deserve one because I don't think I've done anything criminal. But, like, where does that come from? That concept you can just kind of wave your magic pardon wand.
Speaker 8: We have Tish James. We have Xavier Pizzera. Mimi Roca is literally my TA in my town. There there will be opportunities to prosecute these people regardless if they if they abuse the pardon power as they are thinking. Hopefully, Ellie, there will be a sky fall on this entire crime family, and there will be another day for them to die.
Speaker 9: The president, does indeed pardon, let's say, Rudy Giuliani or any members of his family. Would you see that, and I asked Preet Bharara this question, as essentially an admission of guilt?
Speaker 1: Oh, I certainly would view it that way. I think millions of Americans would view it that way. If there was no belief in criminality, why would he think the pardon was necessary?
Speaker 5: CNN has learned president Biden will pardon his son, Hunter Biden.
@libsoftiktok - Libs of TikTok
Nearly 3 minutes straight of Democrats saying preemptive presidential pardons means you’re guilty: Biden just preemptively pardoned Fauci, Milley, Jan 6th committee, and his family. https://t.co/Bjg0fkgvb3
Video Transcript AI Summary
Have you ever heard of someone innocent receiving a preemptive pardon? It's unusual, especially when it's the president's family involved. Seeking preemptive pardons raises questions about guilt; if there's no wrongdoing, why ask for one? Such actions suggest that crimes may have occurred, even if not publicly known. If pardons are issued, they might be framed as protecting family reputations from external threats. The notion of a permanent pardon raises eyebrows, especially for individuals like Giuliani and the president's children, who haven't been convicted of crimes. If the president pardons them, many would interpret it as an admission of guilt. Meanwhile, there are still legal avenues to pursue accountability for any wrongdoing.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Have you ever heard of somebody getting a preemptive pardon who was innocent of all crime? Who's just an innocent person? Have you ever heard of that? Just somebody getting a blanket pardon and they're an innocent person?
Speaker 1: But no. It's the president's own family. It's, people that have been covering up for the president, in addition to his own family.
Speaker 2: Is there an innocent explanation for someone to seek preemptive pardons for family members. Would you do that, if you knew you were innocent and just worried about outside forces?
Speaker 3: The the answer to that is gonna be, no. If you haven't done anything wrong, you sit there and go, what do you need a preemptive pardon for?
Speaker 4: If he pardons people preemptively, he's essentially telling the public that these people have committed crimes. And we may not be aware of what they are, but the pardon is clear evidence that crimes have been committed.
Speaker 5: I imagine if he decides to issue these preemptive pardons, it will be cast in a way that he is protecting his family and protecting their reputations from, you know, villainous exterior forces that are against him.
Speaker 6: First off, we should just take a deep breath and acknowledge, the audacity of a president
Speaker 7: who's so clearly concerned about his own criminal culpability and
Speaker 6: that of his family. Concerned about his own criminal culpability and that of his family members that pardons are a major obsession with him.
Speaker 7: The idea of a kind of prospective pardon, this sort of permanent federal get out of jail free card, that that seems to be what we're talking about in the case of this, right, with Giuliani and his 3 eldest children who, as far we know, don't have not been convicted of a crime. Maybe they've committed a lot, and they don't they don't wanna face action. I don't know. It's weird. I wouldn't ask for a pardon.
I don't think I deserve one because I don't think I've done anything criminal. But, like, where does that come from? That concept you can just kind of wave your magic pardon wand.
Speaker 8: We have Tish James. We have Xavier Pizzera. Mimi Roca is literally my TA in my town. There there will be opportunities to prosecute these people regardless if they if they abuse the pardon power as they are thinking. Hopefully, Ellie, there will be a sky fall on this entire crime family, and there will be another day for them to die.
Speaker 9: The president, does indeed pardon, let's say, Rudy Giuliani or any members of his family. Would you see that, and I asked Preet Bharara this question, as essentially an admission of guilt?
Speaker 1: Oh, I certainly would view it that way. I think millions of Americans would view it that way. If there was no belief in criminality, why would he think the pardon was necessary?
Speaker 5: CNN has learned president Biden will pardon his son, Hunter Biden.
@rawsalerts - R A W S A L E R T S
🚨#BREAKING: Moments ago President Donald Trump has officially granted pardons to over 1,500 individuals and issued 7 commutations for political prisoners involved in the January 6 events https://t.co/16VNsdKdf3
Video Transcript AI Summary
We're conducting further research on mutations and are hopeful for results tonight. We're expecting around 1,500 people and six commutations. We're examining various cases, but the focus will be on the commutations, which may remain unchanged.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Mutations in there where we're doing further research. Nice to see you again. So this is a big one. Anything you wanna explain about this? We we hope they get them we hope they come out tonight, frankly.
We're expecting it Approximately 1500 people. Six six commutations. Were there any cases you did not need or part of the people We're looking at different things, but the commutations would be the ones that we'll take a look and maybe it'll stay that way.
@TRobinsonNewEra - Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧
ADMIN POST. Donald Trump, back at the Whitehouse, just signed the order pardoning the J6ers 🔥 https://t.co/irs2FSE12o
Video Transcript AI Summary
We have a list of pardons and commutations related to the events of January 6, 2021. This order will apply to approximately 1,500 individuals. We are issuing full pardons for these individuals, along with six commutations that require further research. It's a significant decision, and we hope to see the results tonight.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Sir, first, we have a list of, of pardons and commutations relating to events that occurred on January 6, 2021.
Speaker 1: Okay. And how many people are with this?
Speaker 0: I think this order will apply to approximately 1500 people, sir.
Speaker 1: So this is January 6th. These are the hostages. Approximately 1500 for a pardon. Yes. Full pardon.
Speaker 0: Full pardon or commutation?
Speaker 1: Full pardon. We have about 6 commutations in there where we're doing further research.
Speaker 0: Okay.
Speaker 1: Nice to see you again. So this is a big one. Anything you want to explain me about this? We we hope they get them we hope they come out tonight, frankly. We're expecting it.
Approximately 1500 people. Six six commutations.
@DonaldJTrumpJr - Donald Trump Jr.
Promises Made, Promises Kept… And we are only just starting 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 President Trump has just signed an executive order granting full pardons to about 1,500 J6 prisoners! https://t.co/W5iJh3jjXx
Video Transcript AI Summary
On January 6th, there are approximately 1500 hostages involved in discussions about a full pardon. The focus is on securing a full pardon rather than a commutation.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: So this is January 6th. These are the hostages. Approximately 1500 for a pardon. Yes. Full pardon.
Full pardon or commutation? Full pardon.
@Millie__Weaver - Millie Weaver 🇺🇸
Whoa this is a huge deal that he just referred to the J6ers as hostages! Get ready!
@KanekoaTheGreat - KanekoaTheGreat
BREAKING: President Trump signs executive order pardoning approximately 1,500 January 6th protestors. https://t.co/sHO8PbDSGc
Video Transcript AI Summary
We have a list of pardons and commutations related to the events of January 6, 2021, affecting approximately 1,500 individuals. This includes around six commutations that require further research. The focus is on full pardons, and we hope to see these individuals released soon. The order mandates that the Bureau of Prisons act immediately upon receiving the pardons and commutation orders.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Okay. Sir? This is here.
Speaker 1: Yes, sir. First, we have a list of, of pardons and commutations relating to events that occurred on January 6, 2021.
Speaker 0: Okay. And how many people is this?
Speaker 1: I think this order will apply to approximately 1500 people, sir.
Speaker 0: So this is January 6th. These are the hostages. Approximately 1500 for a pardon?
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 0: Full pardon? Full
Speaker 1: pardon or commutation?
Speaker 0: Full pardon. We have about 6 commutations in there where we're doing further research.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 0: Nice to see you again. So this is a big one. Anything you wanna explain about this? We we hope they get them we hope they come out tonight, frankly. We're expecting it.
Approximately 1500 people. Six six commutations. Looking at different things, but, the commutations would be the ones that we'll take a look and maybe it'll stay that way or it'll go to in a full pardon.
Speaker 1: And the order does require the Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on receipt of the pardons and commutation orders? Sir, this is
@PhilNvestigates - Phil Williams
PARDONED: This disturbing video has always stuck with me. Albuquerque Head of Kingsport TN was sentenced to 90 months in prison for using a stolen riot shield to attack police officers. Thanks to President Trump, he will walk free. https://t.co/aqPZNfhVTh
@libsoftiktok - Libs of TikTok
Who is this guy refusing to honor Trump's pardons? https://t.co/nISQN6a8W4
@TrumpWarRoom - Trump War Room
President Trump roasts Crooked Joe Biden's final days in office, in which he doled out pardons like candy for his corrupt family and lying Democrat allies https://t.co/dJNY0gOcAA
Video Transcript AI Summary
Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and others received pardons, raising questions about their connections to the NIH funding for the Wuhan lab through EcoHealth Alliance. The January 6th committee had a predetermined agenda. Unlike Biden, who offered pardons to many, I refused to pardon anyone, believing we did nothing wrong. Many individuals, including Bannon and Navarro, suffered significant losses and legal battles. Schiff, a dishonest politician, fabricated the Russia narrative and sought a pardon from Biden, believing he had done something wrong. Tim Scott noted that the call in question was perfect, yet Schiff pushed for impeachment based on false claims. Schiff and his associates should be held accountable for their actions.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, who got a preemptive pardon. All these people that got pardoned, Anthony Fauci, did he know that NIH money through the EcoHealth Alliance was funding the Wuhan virology lab? There seems to be text and messages and emails that went back and forth. The you talk about the unselect committee as you call it, the January 6th committee. They they had a predetermined outcome.
General Milley, all these people, the Biden family members. Joe Biden ran and said he would never do preemptive pardons. It was an issue that came up when you were leaving in your first house.
Speaker 1: He thought he heard that I was gonna do I didn't wanna do it. I was given the option. They said, sir, would you like to pardon everybody, including yourself? I said, I'm not gonna pardon anybody. We didn't do anything wrong.
And we had people that suffered. They're incredible patriots. We had people that suffered. You had Bannon put in jail. You had Peter Navarro put in jail.
You had people that suffered. And and far worse than that, they've lost their fortunes. They've lost their whatever their nest egg, paying it to lawyers. And those people and and, and people said, do you want and they don't even they wouldn't have even taken most of those people, they wouldn't have even taken a pardon. This guy went around giving everybody pardons.
And you know, the the funny thing, maybe the sad thing, is he didn't give himself a pardon. And if you look at it, it all had to do with him. I mean, the money went to him.
Speaker 0: Should Congress investigate that?
Speaker 1: Well, I don't know. It's, you know Well, you ordered the deal, please. Been look. He didn't give himself a pardon, and he did give some other people a pardon that needed it. And I heard Schiff went to him and and just begged him for a pardon, because Schiff is a crook.
Schiff is a crooked guy. He's a crooked politician. He made up the story about Russia, Russia, Russia. He totally made it up. He was a storyteller.
And then after he made it up, they found out that there was a tape of the conversation made by, you know, I guess, the state department. I don't know. When you make calls, they make tapes sometimes, not all the time.
Speaker 0: He was the one talking to the Russians.
Speaker 1: So he, in the meantime, made up the conversation, totally made it up about quid pro quo. There was no quid pro quo. Just the ad. There was a perfect call. Tim Scott was the first one to come.
He read it. He said, this is a perfect call. What are you doing? You're in you're impeaching a man for a perfect call. It was Schiff.
Schiff, Hillary, the whole group. You know what? They should. Schiff is just a bad, sick, and he went to Biden, and he demanded a part because he thought he did something. He knew
Speaker 0: Clinton Thompson.
reSee.it AI Summary
I’m incredibly frustrated. I became friends with Dominic in D.C. jail, and he’s been locked up for a year since my release. I filed his statements about his treatment in court, but it hasn’t been published yet. I’m infuriated with the U.S. Marshals, who seem to protect corrupt judges instead of upholding justice. Dominic’s mother shared a heartbreaking update about his conditions in a federal facility post-pardon, and it’s unacceptable. I’m left wondering where our leaders are in all of this.
@FrankRoccoG - Frank Rocco Giustino
I am fucking pissed. Dom and I became friends in the D.C. jail, playing cards and helping him out with his case, and he's already been incarcerated for an entire year since I was released from there. On the 21st, the past Tuesday, I filed Dominic's texted statements to me from the D.C. jail's app regarding his current situation with his "judge", holding him hostage, into the United States District Court onto my own docket. I was already putting in a filing of mine as a case review to the TRUMP administration from the record itself - specifically focusing on the collusion of the so-called "judges" - which turned out to be perfect timing for the subject matter of Dominic's texts. It's now Friday, and my filing still hasn't been published onto record. What I have to vent about, is this. I can't even tell you how much I HATE @USMarshalsHQ. Their job is to uphold the federal judiciary. Instead, they work as kidnappers for the criminal impersonators in our federal courts. They arrested me after submitting to them more than enough information from my case to prove that there were fatal flaws going unanswered by James Emanuel BOASBERG. Instead of arresting him, if anyone, they would come to arrest me on a sealed bench warrant that they didn't even SIGN or DATE, alongside an affidavit in the wrong name. These men in uniform with badges and guns are NOT working in our best interests - and what's happening to Dom and the other J6'ers post-pardon proves what I've been trying to say about just how far these fake judges with counterfeit oaths of office are willing to go to defy you. This is ALL about the oaths. Their LACK of contractual duty and decorum. The true fraud perpetuated on the American people. Fuck that.
@FrankRoccoG - Frank Rocco Giustino
But seriously, where the fuck is @POTUS, @VP, @elonmusk, @PamBondi and @EagleEdMartin on this. I'm so tired of these optics.
reSee.it AI Summary
I just stepped outside my home in Chicago after 2,896 days in prison, thanks to President Trump's pardon. I unleashed my anger at the corrupt political machine that tried to erase me, calling out the rigged courts and weaponized prosecutors. I firmly stated, "I NEVER SOLD A SENATE SEAT!" and labeled the charges against me as a political hit job by the Obama-Biden administration. I see parallels with Trump's situation, and I'm ready to fight back against the weaponized justice system. The corrupt elites have failed, and I'm just getting started.
@NextNewsNetwork - Next News Network 🇺🇲
🚨 BLAGOJEVICH UNLEASHED—PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE HIS HOME AFTER TRUMP PARDON! 🚨 Rod Blagojevich just stepped outside his home in Chicago and TORCHED the corrupt political machine that tried to erase him. 2,896 days in prison, and now he’s free, thanks to President Trump’s full pardon. Standing alongside his wife and daughters, he delivered a SCORCHING rebuke of the rigged courts, weaponized prosecutors, and deep-state thugs who railroaded him. “I NEVER SOLD A SENATE SEAT!” Blagojevich thundered, slamming the fake charges as a sham political hit job orchestrated by the Obama-Biden crew. The real crime? Daring to negotiate in politics—the same “wheeling and dealing” that Lincoln himself used to pass the 13th Amendment. And here’s the kicker—they used the SAME tactics against Trump. Fabricated charges. Media smear campaigns. Lawfare. Blagojevich says Trump saw through it all and acted to END the injustice. Now, Blagojevich isn’t just walking away—he’s DECLARING WAR on the weaponized justice system that’s out to destroy political enemies. He’s got the names, the tapes, the receipts—and he’s ready to EXPOSE IT ALL. The corrupt elites FAILED. The deep state LOST. Blagojevich is BACK, and this is just the beginning. VIDEO CREDIT: WGN NEWS
Video Transcript AI Summary
I'm deeply grateful to President Trump for my pardon. He's always helped me without asking for anything in return. My eight years in prison were a nightmare, stemming from false political charges. President Trump recognized the injustice. My family and I will never forget his kindness. This was a political attack, and I maintain my innocence. I never broke any laws. The weaponization of prosecutors for political purposes is a grave constitutional crisis. I’m committed to fighting for justice. I'm writing a book about my experience, a journey from the governor’s mansion to prison. My faith and family sustained me. I plan to continue consulting and writing, and I hope to help President Trump reform our justice system. I haven't decided about running for office again; my wife is against it!
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Okay. Thank you very much. Patty hung you there back. Well, I just have a stickiness. On behalf of my wife, Patty, and our daughters, Amy and Annie, we both together, and our daughters as well wanna express our deepest and most profound and everlasting gratitude to president Trump for what he's done today for the full presidential pardon.
I think about my relation with president Trump, and it's really well, he's always doing things for me, and he never asked me to do anything for him. I had a chance to be on a television show, and, then he ended what was a long, long, hard nightmare. After two thousand eight hundred ninety six days in prison, nearly eight years, president Trump pulled me out of there, and now he did this. And, all I can tell you is that, president Trump is a man who, when he sees things that are wrong, he writes them and puts an end to them. And, Patty and I, Amy and Annie will always be grateful to president Trump and never ever forget his kindness to us.
A long time ago when I was here in this house and Patty and I and our babies were asleep, 06:00 in the morning, we got a phone call. I thought it was a practical joke by my friend, state senator Jimmy Vallejo, telling me they get a warrant for my arrest. It wasn't him. It was the FBI, and that was the beginning of what was and has been a long, hard nightmare for my family and for me. All through through this long, hard process, two trials, eight years in prison, I never ever wavered my determination to prove to the people of Illinois and anybody else who's listening that I broke no laws, crossed no lines, never took a penny.
It was all politics, routine political conversations that were begun by then president-elect Obama who sent an emissary to me to talk about making what this appellate court called a routine political deal when they reversed the so called sale of the senate seat. They were fake charges, and the big lie was told by the prosecutor and his office that did to me and my family what they did. But it's over. President Trump saw what happened, and how interesting understanding between people to sort of understand that something isn't right and something is wrong. Terrible thing that they did to me, a Democrat governor, even worse what they did to a Republican president, president Trump.
And, his resilience, his strength, his fortitude, his unwillingness to give in is an inspiration and an example of the kind of leader that he is. I could never give in. I wanna say to the people of Illinois two things. Number one, I never raised your taxes, and number two, I didn't do it. It was all political talk.
And so I wouldn't give in because I love my wife. I love my daughters. I'll always honor and revere the memory I have of my late parents and the values they taught me. And I could never give in and sell the people of Illinois out and let these corrupt prosecutors criminalize things that are routine and legal in politics and take you away from me. To all of the Democrats out there who voted for you twice in elections, Democratic, voters who voted for me in two elections as governor, I wanna thank you.
For all of those Republicans out there who voted against me in those two elections, I wanna particularly thank you for the second election. Had there been more of you in that one, I wouldn't have gone where I ended up going. But most importantly, I wanna talk a little bit just about what's, I believe, the greatest constitutional crisis in American history since the civil war, and that is this weaponization of prosecutors for political purposes, rigged courts, a broken justice system that is historically been racist in America, now has become weaponized in America. And I also wanna say, how law fair and the misuse of the power of prosecutors in the courts must never be part of the political process. Abraham Lincoln said it right when he talked about government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
And that's what's at stake here. And so moving forward as we learn from the past without bitterness, always remembering, I, wanna simply say that I'm determined to do whatever I can as a private citizen, volunteer my time and efforts to do the best I could to fight for justice and to, and do what I think is right. I'm gonna wrap it up and introduce my lawyer, Leonard Gooden here, in one second. But I'd like to share a quick little story about, my early days in prison, way back in 02/2012, '2 thousand '13, '2 thousand '14, when they put me in a prison behind a barbed wire fence, the inmates call it the razor wire. This is fresh in my mind because I'm writing a book about that experience, and I can't help but forget the things that you know, some of the experiences I went through.
And I remember one of my first visits to see Patty and our kids, and our little Annie was still only eight years old. And before going in to see my family, there's a there's a fee you have to pay, a price you have to pay before you can see your family that's being searched. Full body cavity cavity strip search going in, a full body cavity strip search going out. And while I was doing one of those undignified things, a kindhearted correctional officer, one of the prison guards, a man who was raised in the black churches and had a deep abiding faith in the Christian faith, told me a story. He advised me, go read Genesis chapter 38 to 50.
Story of Joseph. And at the end of that story, a man who was innocent was condemned to prison, but god favored him and pulled him out. At the end of that story, Joseph says to those who persecuted him and had trumpet do with what happened to him, his brothers would sold him out. He said, what you meant for evil, God meant for good. I truly believe that as bad as this has been, I can't begin to tell you how blessed and fortunate I've always felt to be able to walk through life with Patty.
It's been a most gracious thing. She defied the odds. Two days after I was arrested, the Vegas Odds Makers had a nine to one that she was gonna leave. She didn't leave. She stayed.
After eight years of incarceration, when better than 90% of women, whether they're wives or significant others, and a man's in prison for more than four years, they don't stick around. So I've been blessed and fortunate to have fallen in love with and walked through life with my loving wife and our daughters. It's faith, hope, and love that brought us home. And so grateful to the people who've been supportive of of us, who've been so kind with their words of encouragement through all those hard years. And, again, above all, one more time, let me tell you from the bottom of my heart, how deep my appreciation and gratitude is for president Trump.
I believe president Trump is well on his way to being the most consequential president in American history since Franklin Roosevelt. He is gonna change things and make things better. And among the things he's gonna change, I believe, is gonna save our democracy by putting a stop to weaponize prosecutions for political purposes and law fear. Thank you. Leonard?
Rod, real quick. Do you want the ambassadorship to Serbia? Could you comment on that? Are you in line with that position? No comment.
Speaker 1: Are you gonna run for public office now that you're party?
Speaker 0: She's here. No comment.
Speaker 2: Are you going for a mayor?
Speaker 1: Because the president don't put any position in his company. Alright?
Speaker 0: Look. You're asking me political questions about whether or not I want to run for public office. I haven't thought about that. I'm so grateful for what president Trump did for me and for my family. Patty's made it abundantly clear that I ever do that again.
I'm quoting you. She said, I'll be doing that with my second wife. And, I sure don't wanna lose her.
Speaker 1: Do you think speaker Madigan is a victim of the weaponization of prosecutors? Oh my god.
Speaker 0: I, I'm not gonna comment on that, and I haven't been following that. Goenner, come talk, please. Then I'll answer more questions.
Speaker 3: I met Rod in 02/2011. I've been fighting for his freedom ever since, and this is a a happy day. And I just wanna say there's not many people that come through the federal system and can actually come out the other side, with their house, with their family intact. It says a lot about the strength of this man and this amazing wife, Patty, Patty that he has. And, I just also wanna say this is a case, that was built on a political deal that was never a crime.
He never should have done a day, and, thanks. I I also thank president Trump for doing the right thing. This is what pardon power is supposed thank you all for, for for the support, and and it's been my honor, to get to know these people.
Speaker 0: Leonard, what what's the communication been like with the White House in recent days? Do you comment on how
Speaker 3: I have no comment
Speaker 1: on that.
Speaker 0: How did you find Can I say something about Leonard? He's not only a good man, he's a great lawyer. And, it's been a real pleasure and an honor having him represent us and and, the appeal that he wrote. I would spend hours in prison rereading his appeal, something like 90 something pages. It was very meticulous.
He's a great writer, good short sentences. But most of all, he's just a good effing guy, and what a great experience it's been with Leonard. Even though every step of the way, we lost every step of the way in that second rigged corrupt trial run by a judge who was a political hack.
Speaker 1: How did you hear? Did Trump call you directly? You have to talk to Iran. That's what I mean. I How did you find out?
Did did Trump call you directly?
Speaker 0: And I'm gonna try to call president Trump myself and personally thank him. But Patty and I were, spending quiet evening at home two Saturdays ago, and the phone rang. And, someone that I know through the Trump campaign was his calling. He was calling, and I answered it. Really a good guy, very effective.
And I said, hey, Sergio. How are you doing? Congratulations on your big position. And he said, hold on a minute, Gov. An old friend would like to say hi to you.
And then I got on the phone, and it was president Trump. And, he told me that that this is what he was gonna do, and, and so we've known him for a couple of weeks. And, again, what can I say? He's just he's just a great effing guy.
Speaker 1: What is your strongest feeling right
Speaker 0: No. No anxiety after it will lead me through. You know, one benefit of that experience is that nobody can hurt you anymore after they do that to you. And you you face that, and you have to endure that. And, you know, people ask me sometimes, well, what do you think is your greatest accomplishment in life?
Is it being governor? And my answer is no. Not even close. My greatest accomplishment is falling in love with Patty and having our children and standing up to these corrupt prosecutors never giving in, never ever giving in to the threats, the extortion, the shakedown, and the offers of leniency. If I'd be willing to say what they want me to say, I wouldn't do it.
And I wouldn't do it because, as I said, my children, my wife, my late parents, me, and the people of Illinois, and your right to vote for me or against me. I was defending the right of all of the people out there who wanna vote against me because it's their decision. The right of the people that choose their leaders in elections, free and fair, and not have them taken promise or interfered with by weaponized prosecutors who've turned themselves into political hitmen.
Speaker 1: Do you remember the wheeling and dealing conversations, though, that got you in trouble at all?
Speaker 0: Not at all. That's good government. The first mayor Daley used to say good politics is good government, and good government is good politics. And Abraham Lincoln was our greatest president. Maybe Trump will surpass him, but Abraham Lincoln was our greatest president because he was a master of politics, and he was able to govern because of his political skills.
And the slaves would not have been freed had it not been for Lincoln's great skill at politics. The thirteenth amendment
Speaker 1: would have never passed
Speaker 0: had not Lincoln engaged in wheeling and dealing to make it happen so that he can get those senators to support the thirteenth amendment. So no. Not at all. What I was doing was trying to do right by the people.
Speaker 1: And by the way, 98%
Speaker 0: of those FBI tapes that talk about all the potential deals we talked about, including the ones leading up to my arrest, that proves Patrick Fitzgerald is an effing liar when he said he was stopping a crime spree before it happened. On the night before, in the days before, you ought to hear those tapes and what I was about to do and what he stopped. So maybe now maybe now we can get some of those tapes played, and you see that this prosecutor Shar, the lead prosecutor in court, how he directly lied to the jury when I was testifying about what was on those tapes, and they wouldn't let me play the tapes in court to corroborate what I was saying. And he goes and tells the jury, go back in the jury room and listen to how many times he talks about the Madigan deal, which would have provided health care for people, public works, 500,000 jobs with a big capital project, public works bill, and a written promise not to raise taxes on the people. That was the deal.
And Rahm Emanuel, the day before, I was told by my chief of staff, agreed to be the go between. And then the next morning, they come here at 06:00 in the morning with SWAT teams around my house and a hostage negotiator to arrest the sitting governor, the fifth largest state. What's the
Speaker 3: difference for Cheryl protecting Barack Obama?
Speaker 0: I don't know. But, Barack Obama's three o twos are still being covered up.
Speaker 1: Governor, does it is it is it unconstitutional to for the state to bar you, for running across now that your convictions have been wiped away?
Speaker 0: I believe it was always unconstitutional.
Speaker 1: Will you challenge again? I know you lost that case in court.
Speaker 0: I know, but look who's here. I don't know. I I I haven't thought that far ahead. This isn't about me running for office again, honestly. It is, however, a step towards me trying to serve my country some more and doing what I think is right now.
Speaker 2: I think that's right now. What is the one thing you wanna do?
Speaker 1: And you won't comment on the potential ambassadorship. What is next for you as you're passing?
Speaker 0: Well, I think more of what I've been doing, I'm writing a book about the experience. It's a story that starts with one president. President Obama ends with another, president Trump. And most of the story is about a government prison with crips and bloods and gangster disciples. I've seen a little cartel drug dealers who look up to El Chapo, the drug lord.
Like, my two daughters look up to Taylor Swift. There were murders in that prison they put me in for the first two and a half years. I went from a 50,000 square foot governor's mansion to a six foot by eight foot prison cell. I reached and searched for god and found him. I've learned that in in the sadness of life, that's something we often do is to search for god, and I found him.
And it was my Christian faith that gave me the strength I needed to endure, to persevere, to overcome, and my love for my family. It really was faith, hope, and love. Saint Paul, first letter of Corinthians chapter 13. So I'm writing that book, and I I do some business and some consulting work and things of that sort, and I could keep doing that. And and I'll be as helpful as I possibly can be to president Trump and his efforts to save our democracy and make our country better.
Speaker 1: Consulting work for who specifically?
Speaker 0: Well, I mean, I've got private clients. I'm not I don't think they'd appreciate me. What Trying to get me fired or something?
Speaker 1: What did you do on those two trips to Serbia?
Speaker 0: Well, I met with president Vucic. You know, my father came from Serbia.
Speaker 1: Who played for the trip?
Speaker 0: My father came from Serbia, and I, was invited to go there and and be with him and and, and do some business.
Speaker 1: What happens with your pension?
Speaker 0: You know, Patty thinks about those things. I never ever did, and I still don't. They they took it away. I know that. Took my law license away, the sons of bitches.
And, I shouldn't say that, but it was wrong. I I deserve my law license for standing up for the rule of law. And my pension, you know, I never really thought much about that. I still consider myself young, even though the number of years I've lived the lie that. But, you know, I don't know.
I haven't thought about that. Did you wanna address dress that, honey? You don't have to
Speaker 1: do it. No. No. No?
Speaker 0: Well, you know, she kept us in our home, and she built her little business as a single mom all by herself. I miss my daughters growing up because of what they did, but she raised our two little girls beautifully. They're grown. They're they they both do great in school. They take after their mother.
And, our older daughter is doing great. Her little one's doing great, and we're so blessed and grateful. And I really believe that what happened, it was for a purpose, something much larger than us.
Speaker 1: What do you tell to all the innocent people that are in prison that they
Speaker 0: don't have the lineup today? Yeah. I think it's very important for us to build on president Trump's first step, and the first step is that he was able to pass criminal justice reform. It was a Donald Trump who did that, not a democratic president. Donald Trump who big began the process of undoing the 1994 crime bill that Joe pard Joe Biden sponsored and Bill Clinton signed.
I'd like to see us take a step a second step. I learned a lot of hard lessons from that experience I was in. It just reaffirmed. But I really knew but never really knew deeply, and that is that the criminal justice system is is is a racist system, and it disproportionately discriminates against people of color, particularly black people. And first time nonviolent drug offenders, nonviolent drug offenders first time, given these long sentences, almost impossible for them to have a chance at a second chance.
President Trump began that process, a significant step with the Bush Step Act that led to the freedom for a lot of lot of people. I think there's more to be done, a lot more to be done. And I do think that they're part of that criminal justice reform needs to include holding prosecutors who abuse their power accountable for what they've done. And I think it's really important moving forward that we we do something like that. If I'm right and I am right, if you can use an unlawful standard as they did to get to get convictions for things that are legal, that the Supreme Court says is a first amendment protected right.
If they can get away doing that, there's no difference between doing that and a dirty cop who plants a murder weapon to frame an innocent man. And so those cops who do that go to jail. How is it these prosecutors are immune from that sort of thing?
Speaker 1: It was also announced today, that, Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, the justice department is not gonna prosecute him any longer. Do you see any parallels between your case and his
Speaker 0: case? I I I see you'll see. I see. Yeah. No, man.
You're wrong. I see, I see a parallel in that he upset some powerful people, political people, and all of a sudden, he became a target or something. And, apparently, they're talking about upgrades on a flight to Turkey or something. I don't know a lot about the details. I don't even have that, but I'm glad to hear that they're not gonna prosecute him because it all sounded like a bunch of baloney to me.
Speaker 2: Are you glad that Charles Kushner got a part pardon Charles Kushner was accused of hiring a hooker to bait his brother-in-law.
Speaker 0: Any other questions? About that. Alright.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Pay your life to helping people of color get out of jail?
Speaker 0: Yes. Very much. Yeah. I believe that's part of my destiny, and I believe I must do it. I do believe that.
I believe I've been blessed with a miracle, but president Trump has been God's instrument. I believe that deeply, and I believe it's my calling. I very much do. And I hope to be able to work with the current administration in that direction. And I believe look.
I know him enough.
Speaker 1: I don't know him that well, but I know him enough to know when
Speaker 0: he sees something wrong, he doesn't hesitate. This man, president Trump, asked to undo wrongdoings. And so a lot of it has to do with getting information to the people that have the power to make the decisions. And I think I could be helpful that way and do more than that, but certainly that.
Speaker 2: As a Serbian, do you support president Trump standing up against Vladimir Putin in Ukraine?
Speaker 0: Is that the same guy?
Speaker 2: Yeah. It's the same
Speaker 0: guy. Yeah. Nice to meet you. Yeah. I'm not going into foreign affairs.
Are you crazy? That's I'm gonna know.
Speaker 2: You're not gonna be a mess or the Serbia.
Speaker 0: Anybody Leonard, you want anything you wanna say? Yeah. Anyway, thank you so much. Glad to see you guys again. In exchange for your pardon.
He's never ever asked me for anything, by
Speaker 1: the way.
Speaker 0: I should point that out. Never ever
Speaker 1: because you don't know Trump. Yeah. What does he want?
reSee.it AI Summary
I recommend watching the 57-minute "Trial by Media" documentary on Rod Blagojevich for a refresher on his story. I'm glad President Trump pardoned him, and I really admire his wife, Patricia, for her unwavering support throughout everything. She's truly amazing!
@JEM_Books - Jan Evelyn✝️📖🌻🤺🇺🇸AmericaFirst Never Surrender
If you want a refresher on what happened to Rod Blagojevich or don't know what happened, watch this 57 minute Trial by Media 'Blago' documentary (2020). It was good President Trump pardoned him.🥳🎇 And Blagojevich's wife Patricia stuck with him through it all and helped him immensely. She is an amazing person!
Video Transcript AI Summary
I was greeted enthusiastically everywhere, engaging with people and addressing their concerns. I had a knack for media attention, which helped me win elections. Some saw dealing with the press as a double-edged sword. I was accused of trying to sell Barack Obama's senate seat, with my own words describing it as "golden."
My wife stood by me, knowing my heart and intentions were never to break the law. I rose from a humble background, and my political journey was about making things better for people. As governor, I championed big ideas like healthcare expansion and minimum wage hikes.
But I overlearned the importance of raising money, leading to campaign finance issues and ultimately, my downfall and impeachment. Despite everything, I maintained my innocence, leading to legal battles and media attention. Ultimately, I was convicted and sentenced to prison, a decision that devastated my family.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: He is greeted by enthusiastic groups wherever he goes. He stops to talk with people, to shake hands, to sign autographs, and at times gets an earful about the issues.
Speaker 1: Rod was a natural talent in that he loved to jump on something that would get him on TV. Joining us tonight, Rod Blagojevich.
Speaker 2: The first member of congress to alert the public about the napalm recycling plan.
Speaker 3: Congressman Blagojevich helped negotiate the release of the three US soldiers.
Speaker 4: I don't
Speaker 5: think we're heroes. I just think we're looking after our own.
Speaker 6: He absolutely embraced the media's attention. He lived off and he thrived off of it. That's one of the reasons he never lost an election.
Speaker 7: I think the press is just a necessary part of the job.
Speaker 8: But for Rod Blagojevich, dealing with the press really is a double edged sword.
Speaker 2: Justice Brevoire has rested twenty five days.
Speaker 4: Governor Rod Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell Barack Obama's Tennessee to the highest bidder.
Speaker 2: While he may be the nation's least popular governor, he's been the most popular news story.
Speaker 9: Political shit.
Speaker 2: It was appalling. Like a sports agent shopping the highest bidder.
Speaker 10: The governor's own words describing the senate seat. I've got this thing
Speaker 2: I've got this thing
Speaker 11: I've got this thing, and it's
Speaker 10: golden. It's effing golden.
Speaker 2: Bleeping golden, and I'm just not getting
Speaker 4: it up.
Speaker 12: Just giving
Speaker 2: it up for bleeping
Speaker 7: and nothing.
Speaker 10: For nothing.
Speaker 2: For nothing. Did you say this?
Speaker 12: When somebody gets indicted marriage, majority of the times, they get divorced. I suppose I could have packed my kids up and said, good luck with that, you know, we're gonna go live in Wisconsin or something like that, you know, call us when it's done. But the thing is, I couldn't let the father of my children and my husband for years fight that battle alone. I know Rod, and I know his heart, and I know his intentions, and I know that he never intended to break any law or commit any crime. Rod was all about trying to make things better for people.
Speaker 13: When they talk about term limits for Illinois politicians, they don't mean how long they can serve in office. No. They mean the prison term that former governor Otto Kerner served for taking racetrack stocks in return for favors. Or the year and a half former governor Dan Walker served for a bank fraud after he left office. Or the six and a half years former governor George Ryan is now serving for selling off licenses and contracts.
Speaker 4: Illinois is probably the heavyweight champion of corruption in that sense. We've had five governors that have been indicted in this state.
Speaker 14: After years of ethics scandals and investigations, there was a man who ran on an anti corruption platform.
Speaker 4: Thank you. Thank you very much, mister chairman. As a native and lifelong resident of Chicago, I wanna welcome all the delegates and visitors to this most American of American cities.
Speaker 7: So there
Speaker 8: was a time in Chicago when Rod Volkowich was seen by the press as being skilled as a politician. And some of my first impressions of him were, yeah, just that he was really good at it. He had this really outsized likable personality, which was engaging for a lot of people.
Speaker 1: Here's this guy from the neighborhood come in, and I'm gonna take down these elites who've been in power for twenty six years, and we're gonna have a new day. Illinois and people are like, that's my guy.
Speaker 6: Rob Gojevich's history is very different from those Chicago Politicians that a lot of people have heard about. Came from nothing. Five room apartment, two flat, in Chicago on the Northwest Side.
Speaker 12: His dad was an immigrant from Serbia who worked in factories. His mom worked for for the CTA taking tickets. Rod in
Speaker 1: high school went to work on the Alaskan pipeline because that was the only way he could get through college and be there with all of what he would call the dilettantes.
Speaker 12: He knew the struggles of regular, solid, blue collar workers.
Speaker 6: He really did come from nobody and nowhere. And his only way to push for changes in how things are done was to meet people and to play the political game.
Speaker 12: I first met Rod at a fundraiser for my father. I had just broken up with a long term boyfriend on, like, on a Wednesday. Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go to my dad's fundraiser, which was on a Sunday. We were introduced by a mutual friend at that fundraiser, so my husband was literally like the rebound. His car was always getting broken into.
So we're in the car and there's no radio, and he was just singing the Elvis songs to me. I thought, you know, there might be something there. We ended up dating for a year and then were engaged for a year and then got married. And at that point, Rod was a young lawyer, but he always was interested in politics. I think when he was in fifth grade, he knew all the presidents backwards and forwards.
Speaker 1: Nobody really knew who he was back then beyond he married Patty Mow, who's Alderman Dick Mow's son-in-law.
Speaker 12: I have a long family history of politics here in Chicago.
Speaker 1: Dick Mehl is the Chicago political machine. Just loud, in your face, opinionated, and just at the center of everything.
Speaker 6: Dick Mehl was an alderman, which is a very powerful person in Chicago City Council. And he had this political army who helped him win elections and keep power.
Speaker 12: A couple years into our marriage, my dad needs a candidate for state representative. Rob had one question. Am I free to vote the way my conscience urges me to vote? My dad said, yeah. I don't care about that.
Speaker 1: These were elite politicians who control everything, and there were real consequences to either being a part of the machine or taking on the machine. But Rod recognized that was the only way he could get into politics and get things done. Rod was a guy that was very, very restless. He just wanted to shake things up, change things, but he didn't have any power. He was a state rep, very quickly gets bored and decides who wants to run for congress.
Speaker 2: The well financed democrat with powerful family ties.
Speaker 10: Rod, your father-in-law is a very powerful Chicago Alderman. You wouldn't be in this race if it weren't for Dick. No.
Speaker 7: Well, I think it's fair to say that he's certainly been a big help to me.
Speaker 1: Rod gets elected to Congress. What's the first thing he starts thinking about? Maybe I'd have run for governor. We felt like for Rod to be known as more than Dick Mehl's son-in-law, you gotta have a million dollars. We said, Rod, you get that, people will start taking you seriously.
He would go anywhere to raise money, and there were no limits back then. So he was raising 25,000, 50 thousand, hundred thousand at a time.
Speaker 12: One of the most expensive primaries the state
Speaker 2: of Illinois has seen. Mastering a huge campaign war chest.
Speaker 5: Had been in
Speaker 4: third place for a short time. Blagojevich already has $3,000,000. We'll get to second place. But more is needed. So we'll take PAC money.
We've been raising money. We play by the rules. Closing in slowly on first place,
Speaker 9: he had the most money to spend.
Speaker 1: And here, Rob Bogojevic learned the lesson that raising money equals power, and it changes everything.
Speaker 4: The next governor of the state of Illinois, Rob McGlavett.
Speaker 12: By all accounts, it was a pretty quick rise to power. 10 from the time he started in politics that he was governor of Illinois. It was crazy because I was only 38 years old when Rod won for governor. I was seven months pregnant with our second child. So it was a very hopeful time all my life.
Speaker 2: Governor, may God bless you.
Speaker 7: I wanna make clear that business is usual in Illinois state government is a thing of the past.
Speaker 14: There were
Speaker 1: two things that Rod liked. One was winning, and two was champion the big idea. He loved to be part of something innovative. He was a political entrepreneur.
Speaker 8: He was able to do some expansion of health care for children. He very famously offered elderly people free rides on public transportation.
Speaker 1: He passed a minimum wage hike, one of the first states to do that. He forced pharmacists to dispense birth control and not allow their veto just because of their political beliefs. We said, we're gonna tear down all the tolls. We're gonna do this open road tolling, and it cut commute time for everybody. And, of course, he couldn't help himself.
His name was on every one of those open roads. Rod Bogojevich, governor.
Speaker 12: We were doing the best we could for the people of Illinois, and the press was all very good at, you know, at that point.
Speaker 2: Charismatic populist with a possible White House future. Youngsters clamored for his autograph this morning.
Speaker 12: It was almost like you were like a rock star.
Speaker 2: The voters have overwhelmingly said they want a second term as governor. It's not a wonder what is he thinking of where he'll be going after this term is over.
Speaker 4: You ain't seen nothing yet.
Speaker 1: He's got this perfect pathway to the White House. But the problem with Rod Bogojevic, he had overlearned the lesson of how important raising money was, and he was willing to do just about anything to raise money.
Speaker 6: There was this real dichotomy in Rob Bogojevich as he got more powerful because Dick Nell didn't let Rob Bogojevich forget that he was a bit of a creation of Dick Nell. And Rob Begoyevich wanted to think of himself as Alexander Hamilton who came up, you know, out of absolutely nothing and made something of himself all on his own. Rob Begoyevich wanted to be independent, and the way to independence in politics is through money.
Speaker 1: Dick Mehl was the primary engine of raising money. So there was always this tension. He needed Dick, but he resented Dick at the same time. Somewhere along the line, Rod meets a couple of fundraising people, and they started working for him. Every campaign tries to push the envelope on campaign finance law.
These guys had torn up the envelope, and they just didn't care.
Speaker 8: They were going around seeking campaign contributions in exchange for things that Rod could do as governor, different contracts or different appointments.
Speaker 11: Blagojevich was steeped in a world in which seeking to make money off of your public position was not weird. I would imagine the types of exchanges didn't seem criminal even or weird to him. It seemed like what politicians do.
Speaker 1: And all of a sudden, Rod starts raising this big money and said, I don't need Dick anymore. And Dick gets left behind.
Speaker 12: From that point on, we were at odds with my father.
Speaker 7: When you have a situation where family's involved, there's a recipe for the politics being brought into the household. That's not healthy. That's not something I'd recommend to people.
Speaker 1: At a family dinner in 02/2004, Rod's political life starts to unravel. Dick is very, very resentful of Rod. He feels like you danced with the one who brought you to the dance. And Dick's the jilted suitor here.
Speaker 12: My mom was, of course, on my dad's side, and I'm, of course, on my husband's side, and it was very difficult.
Speaker 1: Right after dinner, Dick says this offhanded statement to a reporter. They're giving away board and committee assignments for $50,000 a piece. Boom. It's big headlines.
Speaker 12: My father then, of course, recanted, but things were forever gonna be different.
Speaker 1: That's not just bad press. They can see FBI's attention.
Speaker 14: The FBI starts an investigation with credible indication that perhaps a crime has occurred. We were out there pulling together records, and we had picked up clear information that Rod was being very blunt about trying to raise campaign dollars in exchange for things that we could do as the governor. So the next step was to get a court order to go up on Ralph Glitch's telephones, a wiretap.
Speaker 8: By that point, his inner circle are under investigation, and everybody knew it. If you know you're under investigation to the level that Rod was at that point, step number one is to take your phone and bury it in the backyard and stay off of it. And Rob Gojevich basically does the opposite. I think he felt like there's no way that his phones would ever be compromised. As a sitting governor, and that's really where he gets into the trouble is he continues to run his mouth like he always does.
At that stage, this was still an investigation about campaign contributions, but they started to hear, wait a minute. What's he doing with the senate seat? We need to let some of that run.
Speaker 6: When Barack Obama got elected president, Rob Bogojevich as governor was the only person who had the power to appoint Barack Obama's replacement in the senate. And he decided, essentially to start listening to everybody about what they could offer. And he started talking to some of his closest advisers and speculating and plotting how to exchange that decision for something for his benefit.
Speaker 5: I got some lady calling my aunt for Jesse Junior here a little while ago. We were approached to pay to play. But, you know, he'd raise me $500, an emissary came, and the other guy would raise a million if I made him a senator.
Speaker 8: The Jesse Jackson Junior camp and some of his supporters had come forward and offered to give campaign contributions in exchange for Jesse Jackson junior being appointed to the senate.
Speaker 6: There was talk of him deciding to, you know, hey. Maybe I can exchange this for somebody who Barack Obama wants replaced him.
Speaker 5: The phone was Valerie Jarrett? Yeah. We should get something for that, couldn't I? Yes. How about health and human services?
Can I get that? You and ambassador, I take that. How about India? India is vital. Yeah.
India is vital. I'd say India Is that realistic, or do we need to reject that? No. That's really. Is it?
I think so. No shit.
Speaker 6: They weren't sure what Rob Bogojevic was gonna do next, and the prosecutors felt that if they didn't move quickly, Rob Blagojevich could actually appoint somebody senator. And as soon as he appoints it, it happened.
Speaker 5: I told my nephew, Alex, he just turned 26 today. I said, Alex, you know, I called for his birthday. And I said, it's just too bad you're not four years older because I could've given you a US sentencing for your birthday. I mean, I I've got this thing, and it's fucking golden. And, I'm just not giving it up for fucking
Speaker 14: nothing. We had enough with recordings we obtained, with telephone records we had pulled, and we knew it was time to take the whole case down.
Speaker 12: That morning was like that scene from The Godfather where they're doing the baptism and all these people are getting murdered around them. They went to my brother-in-law. They went to Rod's chief of staff, and they just, like, hit everybody all at the same time.
Speaker 14: Dan, myself, and another agent, Kathy, approached the door. And we purposely picked Kathy because she had training in hostage negotiation. The Illinois State Police put a call into the governor's home.
Speaker 12: It was somebody saying, it's the FBI. We're at your door. Let us in. And I thought it was a joke, and I said, oh, who is this? And I hung up the phone.
Speaker 14: Call back.
Speaker 12: And they said, no. This is the FBI. We're downstairs. Come open the door. Otherwise, we'll bust it open.
Speaker 14: Patty's state was mostly irritated. I'd say very irritated.
Speaker 12: They brought a SWAT team. They bought brought hostage negotiators with them. I mean, what did they think? My husband was gonna hold his children hostage or I mean, it was the craziest thing.
Speaker 14: Rod was on the stairway, and one thing that struck me as peculiar that still told me that he wasn't totally grasping the situation is before we walked him down the stairs, he asked me how his hair looked.
Speaker 12: And they brought him downstairs, and the FBI agent said to me, well, we have to get going because the press isn't here yet.
Speaker 4: McCoy, bitch. Get busted. Read all about it.
Speaker 2: Today's headlines stunned a state accustomed to politicians in handcuffs. He's charged with racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion, and making false statements.
Speaker 15: The most serious charge alleges he offered up the appointment of president Obama's vacated senate seat to the highest bidder.
Speaker 8: Gleipich's arrest in Chicago was obviously a nuclear weapon going on.
Speaker 2: The whole world was listening. Mhmm. Is this the dumbest guy ever? What did you call him?
Speaker 4: Blagoleyevich. Blagoleyevich.
Speaker 10: Sound like?
Speaker 12: The press, they like to build you up and then they start trying to tear you down.
Speaker 2: Rod Blagojevich has gone from being an embattled public official to a disgraced private citizen.
Speaker 9: That will earn him a permanent place in the political hall of shame.
Speaker 4: What a moron this guy is.
Speaker 13: But even recently, the governor characterized himself as
Speaker 4: a popular guy.
Speaker 14: There's any number of critics who wonder if he's delusional or not.
Speaker 16: I talked to a number of psychiatrists and said, is this guy nuts? They came up with narcissistic personality disorder.
Speaker 4: Governor this. Governor, the suggestion that you might not able to think rationally at this time, how do you respond to that?
Speaker 7: I may come out to
Speaker 5: what's your question?
Speaker 13: A Chicago Tribune poll showed the governor's approval rating at 13%.
Speaker 2: With a recent approval rating of just 4%.
Speaker 4: Maybe the lowest in American history. It's an embarrassment. The arrogance of governor Blagojevich is beyond bail.
Speaker 9: And tomorrow's lead editorial, already posted on the Tribune website, calls on Blagojevich to resign.
Speaker 12: I personally think he should at least step aside. I really
Speaker 6: think it's time for him to go, but, unfortunately, I think he's gonna drag this out as long as he can.
Speaker 2: Governor Blagojevich turned 52 today, not exactly the best of birthdays. His once promising political career now in shambles.
Speaker 7: Thank you very much. I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, that I intend to stay on the job, and I will fight this thing every step of the way. I will fight. I will fight. I will fight until I take my last breath.
Speaker 10: My father called me up and said, come down to the office. Rod Blagojevich may wanna hire us. And so I came down and it was right then. I I fell in love right right then. My father asked me after the meeting was over, do you wanna do it?
I said, the governor of the state, especially that guy asks us, that's an honor to to represent someone like that. Yes. I'm in if you're in. Alright. Go.
I put
Speaker 8: He knew Sam Adams junior actually from the R. Kelly case, and he thought this this guy could get R. Kelly off, then maybe he can help me. Suggestion is Sam was kind of an extension of Rod's personality, very just out there and gregarious and aggressive.
Speaker 10: Point out to me one single action that's in a criminal complaint here that says the governor did anything. Maybe there was talk. Now if you're just asking me about tapes, oh, I know
Speaker 4: we're doing the tapes. There
Speaker 10: are no damaging tapes. When you take an elected official, a governor, rip him from his family at 06:00 in the morning, and then say, he did all these things, but you can't answer it?
Speaker 2: Is that really where we are?
Speaker 8: Conventional wisdom in Chicago would say, you get hit with a corruption case of this size, dry up immediately. Don't say anything that's gonna get you in any more trouble. But the Blagojevich defense team took the opposite track.
Speaker 10: When Rod was arrested, basically, he had a zero approval rating. They showed him with his crazy hair, looking like a common everyday criminal, and so I had to deal with that. But I'm a salesman. Typically, in my case is you have a old beat up Chevy you gotta make look like a brand new Mercedes, but that's that's the nature of the business. And so we tried to get back to to even just all we wanted was people to listen.
Speaker 2: Hi. How are you?
Speaker 9: The former Illinois governor came to New York today to launch a media campaign.
Speaker 4: The Fox and Friends morning show was the first of a flurry of of even more media interviews today.
Speaker 2: He's doing everything but stick his head in the sand as he continues to make the rounds and his case before the media.
Speaker 17: When it came to media strategy, you had an individual who wanted to speak.
Speaker 2: You don't just give it away for nothing. Are these your words?
Speaker 7: That's subject to many interpretations that could mean I want them to help us pass health care. Politics and routine politics and political horse trading and discussing what may or may not be available, is how the business works.
Speaker 4: You think
Speaker 9: that's just routine politics?
Speaker 7: Absolutely. I did nothing wrong. And I can leave any criminal wrongdoing.
Speaker 18: Don't say I am not
Speaker 2: a crook. Do it.
Speaker 8: Part of the strategy was we put him on TV because he still had this outsized, likable personality.
Speaker 7: Hi. I'm Rod Blagojevich. I'm backstage at the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Speaker 2: Please welcome Rod.
Speaker 8: Make people laugh, make him the sympathetic character because they thought that that could ultimately play out in court.
Speaker 1: Governor Rod Blagojevich talking on TV as he did all day yesterday.
Speaker 7: This week, we believe, is the best possible forum that I have.
Speaker 4: I saw you on The View. I saw you on The Today Show. I saw you on, I think, every other show that is in production currently.
Speaker 2: Many believe this media blitz is an attempt to influence potential jurors.
Speaker 4: Well, you wonder whether that's strategy or whether he just likes to be on television.
Speaker 17: During the pretrial media strategy, Rod did become the butt of the joke.
Speaker 14: This seat that you're sitting on right now,
Speaker 11: you could sell this vacant seat, okay,
Speaker 14: on eBay.
Speaker 10: You can own Rod Blagojevich's empty seat, and the winner gets a clump of Blago hair found between the cushions.
Speaker 17: That being said, it's better to be the butt of the joke than to be a criminal. So we saw this as improving his position.
Speaker 19: This governor has violated his oath of office. This governor has breached the public trust. This governor must be impeached, and I urge your I vote.
Speaker 20: Rod Blagojevich is no longer the governor of Illinois. He was ousted from office late today after being convicted by the state senate. Hours before the vote, Blagojevich made a plea.
Speaker 7: You guys are in politics. You know what we have to do to go out and run and run run elections.
Speaker 2: But his performance didn't seem to change any minds here.
Speaker 4: I now pronounce the judgment of conviction against Radar Blagojevich with his removal from office as governor.
Speaker 3: The senate also voted to bar him from ever holding state office again. As a matter of fact, we understand they've already changed the locks on the doors to this governor's office behind me here.
Speaker 4: That way, you're right there in money. How do you feel about that? Governor, what are
Speaker 0: you gonna do about your legal defense? For everybody
Speaker 7: to do with that.
Speaker 4: Do you have prospects for
Speaker 21: a job to pay the bills?
Speaker 4: You know, I'm obviously, very interested in, finding
Speaker 7: a way to earn
Speaker 4: a living spot. Right. And, and our family is, is this
Speaker 13: the toughest day? Is this the toughest day you have? No.
Speaker 21: It's time for a new deal. It's time to get back to work. It's time for the celebrity apprentice.
Speaker 4: With Rod Blagojevich.
Speaker 7: I'll do anything. Right? Legal and ethical and honest.
Speaker 8: Rob Blagojevich's defense team very purposefully decided that they were gonna turn him into even more of a celebrity than he already was.
Speaker 7: I'll tell you what you guys think. I should hate you guys on as a politics.
Speaker 8: See, that's all I'm saying.
Speaker 7: Yeah. First first thing I would've
Speaker 10: told is, like, hang up the phone. Yeah. Hang up the phone, man.
Speaker 8: The defense team wanted to put him on TV and make a national personality out of him because they saw the OJ case, the R. Kelly case.
Speaker 4: How about taking a Come on.
Speaker 8: They knew that in the American system, it's a higher bar to convict a celebrity for sure.
Speaker 7: I have great respect for your tenacity for the fact that you just don't give up. But, Rod, you're fired.
Speaker 4: Top 10 questions Rod Migoievich asked himself before appearing on Celebrity Apprentice number 10. Can I get paid in shampoo? Yeah.
Speaker 10: When a media tour first started, people started saying he's nuts. He's crazy. Blago's crazy. And then they started saying, well, you know what? There's gotta be something to this because no man's gonna go around the country for a year and a half and claim his innocence.
And by the time we got to, trial, the polling showed fifty fifty. 50 people were coming in believing that he was guilty. 50 said, you know what? Maybe Blago's innocent. And so it gave me real confidence.
It gave my father real confidence to go into that trial with that strategy.
Speaker 2: The corruption trial of Rob Blagojevich opens this morning. Did you sleep well last night? Not great. You tend to forget that Blagojevich could spend years behind bars if he's convicted because he seems to have made such a mockery of the pretrial process.
Speaker 15: Judge James Zagle warned Blagojevich against making daily statements to the press and Twittering updates from the courtroom. He does have a following. And in the criminal context,
Speaker 4: he just needs one person. Go Buff.
Speaker 7: Thank thank you. Appreciate that. Really?
Speaker 2: What's this about? I'm gonna drive. Hang on.
Speaker 4: I killed you. Thanks, man.
Speaker 8: Inside the US attorney's office, this was being handled by very experienced, very tough people. They're best of the best.
Speaker 15: In opening arguments, US attorney Kerry Hamilton included the senate seat in a series of alleged shakedowns establishing a trend. What about me? What's in it for me?
Speaker 8: The US government had such a complicated case that there was a lot of minutiae that the jury was asked to deal with.
Speaker 13: Trying to connect the dots between Blagojevich and a close inner circle
Speaker 2: with an alleged dispute. Pro quo rewarding friends.
Speaker 4: This trial is not expected to go by quickly.
Speaker 8: They were relying a lot on what was known as honest services, the legal expectation that an elected official owes the public governing free from corruption, and that that had been violated. The presentation of that was really kind of winding and complicated, and the jury probably didn't understand it.
Speaker 2: More of the same, the slow, tedious, but careful process.
Speaker 4: Today, a little boring.
Speaker 2: I think that's a fair word.
Speaker 8: So you had the US government coming in very kind of bookish, and what they wound up facing was really a street fight. You had Sam Adam junior coming from the world of the criminal court in Chicago, Twenty Sixth Street, where it's bare knuckle, and I think that caught the federal prosecutors off guard.
Speaker 15: In a loud rambling opening fit for the theater, defense attorney Sam Adam Junior mentioned Blagojevich's now famous hair.
Speaker 2: Sam Adam junior shouted at the jury.
Speaker 4: Waving his arm and pointing his fingers.
Speaker 2: Using a fire and brimstone approach said the governor was the victim.
Speaker 10: All of the articles said they're 20 Sixth Street Clowns. What we were trying to do is be regular. We gotta be regular. These are people who who get up in the morning, put on their pants one leg at a time, and go to work. They're not gonna see these technical laws and all that and think to them, oh, well, this one has a comma here.
This one has a semicolon. What does that mean? And so our entire defense was all of this was political horse trading. You may not like it. You may want to change it, but that's politics.
Speaker 14: There are a lot of other people that profited from this corruption. We actually used the evidence we gathered against them to help convince them to cooperate with us, but you just don't know what's gonna happen when you're in court.
Speaker 4: Line was a difficult to testify against.
Speaker 10: Their witness, Lon Monk, who was Rod's chief of staff, he said he was taking money himself. The US attorney asked him, so how much of that money did you give Rod? And he said, oh, I would never give Rod any money or tell him I took any money because that's not who Rod is. Right there. That's it.
If you are his best friend and you're taking money, but you refuse to give it to him, So what are we doing here? What are we talking about? He didn't get any money. Not 1 dime.
Speaker 5: Alright. But you understand, it's very important for me to make a lot of money. I need the independence. I I I need freedom. Okay?
And then I have a personal issue, which is I feel like I'm fucking my children. That's what I feel like. The whole world's passing me by. And Amy
Speaker 2: And she's going to college in six years.
Speaker 5: Amy's going to college in six years, and we can't afford it.
Speaker 17: They claim all these crimes, and not once has money exchanged.
Speaker 10: This is a little mystifying to me.
Speaker 8: Sam just pounded on that. If he's supposedly making all this money, where are the fancy cars? Where are the vacations? This guy can't even afford to send his kids to college. That's why he's, you know, complaining about needing money and trying to get a job running a charitable organization or something in exchange for the senate seat is because he doesn't have enough money.
So he's if he's a criminal, he's not very good at it.
Speaker 4: What's your level
Speaker 10: After five weeks of presenting testimony, prosecutors in the corruption trial of Rod Blagojevich have rested their case.
Speaker 4: A jury will decide if Illinois will send its second straight governor to prison.
Speaker 10: If convicted, he could face up to $6,000,000 in fines and a sentence of four hundred fifteen years in prison.
Speaker 1: Have you thought about what life would be like for you in prison if in fact you get convicted?
Speaker 7: I'm human. Of course, sometimes you get those moments. Planting at my little six year old sitting in the at her kindergarten graduation around the circle with her classmates and wondering whether or not I might not be able to see some of that as the years go on. But those are just little moments. I know what the truth is, and I'll be fully vindicated.
Speaker 14: Reporting tonight, George Stephanopoulos.
Speaker 4: Good evening. For two weeks, the fate of former Illinois governor Rob Lagojevich has been in the hands of six men and six women in a Chicago courthouse. Late today, the divided jury returned its verdict. Guilty on only one count in the corruption trial. Deadlocked on 23 other charges.
Speaker 2: Blagojevich was convicted of lying to federal agents, but the jury could not reach a verdict on 23 other corruption charges. Among them, attempting to sell the US Senate seat once held by President Obama.
Speaker 13: This is a stunning verdict, a major victory for Blagojevich, a stunning upset for federal prosecutors.
Speaker 2: I mean, I
Speaker 18: think there was a sense of overconfidence by the government, and the defense did a really good job of getting back to the simple concept, follow the money. And there wasn't a dime the prosecution showed went into Blagojevich's pocket. It was all talk. So, you know, is he a bad governor or a criminal?
Speaker 7: We'll be seeing you around.
Speaker 4: Good. Okay. How you doing, man? We're doing good. Good.
Good. Good. You're great, man. Thanks. None of it's true.
Okay. Now we can really say what it matters. You know? See you guys.
Speaker 12: We were elated for the hung jury, but it was a very much of a sense of dread because you knew they were gonna come back at you again. They weren't gonna let it rest. They were coming right back.
Speaker 17: Going into a second trial, most people believe that we were going into a worse position because we knew that the government would clean up any errors that they made, and then we certainly had a much smaller team.
Speaker 10: The government got to know my father and I and the lawyer tricks, if you for lack of a better term, and how we were gonna present evidence. And so the best thing for Rod was to have the second in command, Aaron Goldstein, come in and step to the forefront.
Speaker 17: I decided to stay from the first trial to the second trial because I don't leave my clients. I don't believe in abandoning them, and that's just a fundamental belief of mine.
Speaker 2: Are you ready for round two?
Speaker 7: I waited a long time to get this indication that I deserve and that that I owe to the people of Illinois.
Speaker 4: With jury selection underway in Chicago, Chicago, Rod Blagojevich made his first appearance at a second federal corruption trial Thursday.
Speaker 9: Blagojevich says he is more optimistic than ever of a future not behind bars.
Speaker 17: The second trial changed a significant amount, and and one of the most significant changes was the prosecution really streamlined their case, and they focused primarily just on the recorded conversations. We didn't know necessarily that they were gonna do it that way. They just sort of sprung it on us from at day one.
Speaker 8: The government came out swinging. They recorded many hundreds of hours of his phone calls, and they were able to pick and choose because they're the ones trying to prove his guilt or not.
Speaker 5: Do they think I would just appoint Valerie Jarrett for nothing? Just to make him happy? Give this mother his senator him for nothing? Him.
Speaker 6: The judge was not letting in a whole bunch of other tapes that Rob Inglejevich felt were helpful to him.
Speaker 4: From the very beginning, I said play all the tapes. When was it that you've ever heard the guy
Speaker 7: who is accused of wrongdoing
Speaker 4: saying play all the evidence?
Speaker 8: He felt hamstrung by not being able to present some of the calls which sound a lot more political. There are only so many conversations to sell the senate seat, and then there are 50 other times you're talking about a political deal. He thought that that would communicate to the jury that his intent was more the political deal versus something that was criminal.
Speaker 6: He was essentially put into a corner where the only way he was going to explain what he did was not wrong and was just politics, was to get on the stand. Here
Speaker 4: we go. This
Speaker 7: has been a long and very difficult journey for Patty, for our daughters Amy and Annie, and for me, of course. I've waited two and a half years to finally get a chance to get on the witness stand and and and tell the truth, and to, take as long as it takes to, answer every question as honestly and as fully as possible.
Speaker 6: He really felt like he could convince anybody in any room that he was who he says he was. He had been doing it for his entire time in politics, so he had that confidence. But the very first question Reid Schar asked him was, you're a convicted liar, aren't you? Which, of course, put Rob Bogojevic immediately on the defensive because he was indeed a convicted liar. Rob Bogojevic did his politician thing as best as he could.
But unlike talking to the press, he couldn't go on and on and on and answer whatever question he wanted to. Ryd Char was not going to take any BS. I knew a judge telling him, you have to answer that question. It became a very difficult situation for Puglaiyevich.
Speaker 8: You could be likable. You could kind of put yourself out there on television, but that only goes so far when a jury is actually looking at the details of the case. You can't literally talk your way out of everything. And that created moments where jurors were rolling their eyes. One lady, you know, told the tribune afterward that she was drawing pictures of her cats while he was testifying.
So it did not have the outcome that he wanted.
Speaker 4: Rod Blavojevich was clearly knocked off stride by prosecutors very aggressive questioning.
Speaker 2: His testimony yesterday, a little bit shaky.
Speaker 4: But his interrogation put a very big dent in the picture that Rod Blavojevic had painted of himself. Jurors in the corruption trial of ousted Illinois governor Rob Blagojevich told a judge they have reached a verdict on 18 of the 20 counts. The judge says the verdicts will be read Monday afternoon. The announcement came after nine days of deliberation. On his way to
Speaker 13: court before his fate was known, the quirky ex governor was quoting from his beloved Elvis.
Speaker 4: You know, my hands are shaking. My knees are weak. I can't seem to stand at my own two feet.
Speaker 17: We got noticed that there was a verdict, and we walked in, and the media comes in, and we hear this verdict, then it just becomes a haze.
Speaker 2: After the long, unruly saga, the verdict is in, and it is guilty. 17 charges of corruption, including an effort to barter President Obama's old Senate seat.
Speaker 7: There's not much left to say other than, we wanna get home to our little girls and, and and and talk to them and explain things to them and and then try to sort things out.
Speaker 12: I think there was one man on the jury. It was all women. And, man, those women, without those tapes to be able to back up what he was saying, they just, you know, didn't buy it, and it was scary. It was a very scary moment. We felt that it was very clear that he was trying to make a trade for the senate seat.
Speaker 4: The jurors themselves said, we wanna send a message that political horse trading is one thing. But when one attempts to personally benefit from that horse trading, that's when, one crosses the line. Blagojevich now faces a sentencing hearing in August. He faces a maximum of three hundred years in prison.
Speaker 2: Just be ready, Vic, because it can happen any moment. Oh, woah. Vic. Vic. Here we go.
Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Good morning. How are you feeling today?
Speaker 4: Are you showing something worse today in court?
Speaker 9: Sentencing day today for former Illinois governor, Rob Blagojevich.
Speaker 4: The prosecution trying to get fifteen to twenty years for the former governor. The governor needs to go in front of the judge today, plead his case, tell the judge he's
Speaker 2: sorry. Any idea what you're gonna say today in court, governor? Anything you want people to know?
Speaker 6: The only time he ever expressed even a scintilla of remorse was on that day of the sentencing. He gave a statement to judge Zagle where he apologized. It came across not super sincere, but he said sort of the right things. I think at that point, it was too little too late.
Speaker 2: The maximum, fifteen to twenty years.
Speaker 4: Governor gets, more than ten years, that would be the largest sentence ever to be thrown at any politician in the state of Illinois.
Speaker 2: A ruling that will likely come today. Yeah. You're on speaker. He's coming
Speaker 7: down. Okay. I'm not gonna say anything about, anything except something very, very brief. Patty and I, and especially me, this is a time to be strong. This is a time to fight through adversity.
This is a time for me to be strong for my children, be strong for Patty, and this is also a time for Patty and me to get home so we can explain to our kids, our babies Amy and Annie, what happened, what all this means, and where we're going from here. So we're gonna keep fighting.
Speaker 12: I think that was probably the first and only time in my life I actually thought I was gonna faint. You know, like when your knees, like, buckle.
Speaker 4: In his fourteen years in prison for ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
Speaker 12: A fourteen year sentence, It's just so outrageous.
Speaker 1: Did Rabin Gojevich do something wrong? Absolutely. But the fourteen year sentence was a huge miscarriage of justice. The press strategy horribly backfired because they just didn't antagonize this judge, and he decided he was gonna make an example of it.
Speaker 8: That same judge had handled a mob case where there was a mob flipper who had testified about killing a number of people and had gotten about eleven or twelve years based on that. Jesse Jackson junior actually worked a scheme to pocket campaign contributions and got two years. Here's Rob Gojovich who didn't pocket anything, and he's in prison till 2024. So is that fair?
Speaker 14: I've never been vengeful. I can count on maybe one or two fingers how many times I've actually wanted to see somebody sent off to be incarcerated for a extended period of time. I appreciate the fact that I caught the person and brought their activity to light, but I never took any great pleasure in seeing the hardships that it caused. But then again, Rob Bugewegas brought this upon himself.
Speaker 11: I think it's really wrong to diminish the significance involved with campaign finance violations. They're important restrictions that we have for really important public purposes. And when you violate those, you ought to be convicted, and you ought to be sentenced to the full extent of the law. If he didn't know what he was doing, he should have, and he doesn't deserve our sympathy.
Speaker 12: For me, my focus immediately became my children and making sure that they were not irreparably harmed by the this whole ordeal. And unfortunately, they were irreparably harmed by this whole ordeal. My children have scars that are so deep and that will last them their whole life. They were going to grow up without a father. Now there there's only one person whose hands our fate rests.
Speaker 6: Could there now be a presidential pardon spree?
Speaker 1: Today, the president said, I thought that he was treated unfairly. He shouldn't have been put in jail.
Speaker 12: It all comes down to the president of The United States. And what's the best way to get a message to him and his his staff and his people is to try to appear on places where they're paying attention to. So here now for an exclusive interview on the story of Patricia Blagojevich.
Speaker 2: Here with us exclusively are Blagojevich's wife, Patty, and Chicago Attorney, Len Goodman. One of justice exclusive is Patty Bogojevic, former Illinois governor's wife.
Speaker 12: I know that you spoke with your husband today. What did he say when he heard this news? Well, you know, he was, and we are all so grateful that the president is thinking of us in this way. We know that president Trump is a kind man, and he's compassionate. He knows how important it is that my husband gets home to be a father to our daughters, that we can't help but, you know, to be hopeful.
Speaker 17: It's ironic. It's strange. It's odd. No one expected Donald Trump to be president and then somehow have the power to to release Rob Bogojevic. But but life is strange, and I see this as a means to an end and the only means to an end.
Speaker 12: Sometimes the courts and these prosecutors get it wrong, and it takes a strong leader like president Trump to right those wrongs.
Speaker 1: I give Patty a lot of credit. I mean, here is, a loyal wife who's doing anything she can to get her husband and the father of her two daughters home. And so I good for you, Patty.
Speaker 12: This year, we'll be married twenty nine years. We've been separated the last seven, but I talk to him every night. He gets three hundred minutes of phone time a month. So that's, you know, ten minutes a day. I like the idea of him coming home and us being back in our house and just picking back up.
As long as we're all healthy, anything's possible. But who knows what the future holds?
Speaker 8: Rod Bogojevic could actually walk out of prison much sooner than we all think he could. But I don't expect the Bogojevic who comes out of there is gonna be any different than the one who went in. I think it would be a a huge circus deal, and he would definitely make the rounds and go on all the shows and talk about his time in prison. All those things, I think he'd be, you know, he's probably a personality that's perfect for right now in America.
Speaker 6: He'll want to restate his case yet again, and he'll wanna try to recreate his persona. So people don't think of him as the disgraced former governor, but just as a guy who got a raw deal from federal prosecutors.
Speaker 12: I always kinda joke that if he ever wants to go back into politics again, he'll have to do that with his second wife. No.
Speaker 18: Not the first wife.
Speaker 12: I think that part of our lives is over, and I think that he understands how you put your family in danger by going into politics. We were at the mercy of forces beyond our control.
Speaker 7: You sometimes have to take a deep breath and realize the blessings that you have. And, you know, I've been blessed with a wonderful wife. And
Speaker 9: Can you imagine ever being in politics again?
Speaker 7: If she's watching this show, the answer would be no. But if she's not, no. I'm not ruling out. I'm not ruling out.
Speaker 4: Thank you very much. Thank you.
Speaker 20: This is a Fox News alert. Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is a free man tonight after eight years in prison.
Speaker 2: Moments ago, president Trump just announced that he has commuted the sentence of former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich. It's
Speaker 4: your first Blago is a free man.
Speaker 2: Blagojevich is someone the president has been considering commuting his sentence for months now. Was Patty Blagojevich and her media appeal directly to Trump that was convincing.
Speaker 21: I watched his wife on television. I don't know him very well. I've met him a couple of times. He was on for a short while at the apprentice years ago. She looked like a very nice person.
Speaker 4: I appreciate your time. Everyone. I'm
Speaker 18: curious as to what you think happens next.
Speaker 8: When we see him in political office again,
Speaker 1: he could certainly do it. You know, he's there coming out of
Speaker 14: jail, shaking hands like a politician. I
Speaker 7: think this is the ending of the first act of a two act play. Tomorrow begins the second act so that wrongs that have been done can be righted.
@RogerJStoneJr - Roger Stone
🚨BREAKING: President Donald Trump pardons lawfare victim Governor Rod Blagojevich—clearing the way for a Blagojevich bid for Mayor of Chicago. https://t.co/eCMkFoZBr6
reSee.it AI Summary
I just saw that President Trump is declaring Biden's last-minute pardons invalid, claiming they were signed with an autopen. He insists Biden wasn't aware of them, and the pardons included his family, Dr. Fauci, General Milley, and the J6 Committee.
@CollinRugg - Collin Rugg
JUST IN: President Trump declares Biden’s last minute pardons before leaving office are void due to the alleged use of “autopen.” “Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!” Biden’s pardons included: - His family members - Dr. Fauci - General Mark Milley - J6 Committee
@KathleenWinche3 - Kathleen Winchell ❤️🤍💙🇺🇸🇺🇸
Bidens pardons going bye bye! 👋 https://t.co/G9dG0HoK4h
@TRUMP_ARMY_ - TRUMP ARMY
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump has dropped a bombshell, declaring that the autopen-signed pardons issued by Joe Biden are "worthless" and should be voided. "All those pardons he gave to some very bad, unpatriotic and evil people, it looks to me like those pardons are worthless." https://t.co/BzfWkY5h1h
Video Transcript AI Summary
Pen that can do that. Right? Look at that, Pam. Is that a good signature? Seriously. Is that a good signature? Who can who can write like that? Nobody. I assume we're looking at the whole auto pen scam, sir, because the person that ran it said he spoke to briefly twice about nothing. That means that all those partners that he gave to some very bad people, very unpatriotic people, very evil people, it looks to me like those partners are are worthless. Because number one, you shouldn't use an auto pen very specifically. And they have to know that the president wanted it. The president didn't want this. The president didn't know he was alive. Okay? He never approved any of this stuff. He wasn't for open borders and all of the other thing. He was never for open borders. I've known Biden a long time. He was never very sharp, but he was never in favor of open borders and all of the other things he did to destroy our country. Let's go. Lastly, sir, this is an executive order on flag burning.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Pen that can do that. Right? Look at that, Pam. Is that a good signature? Seriously.
Is that a good signature? Who can who can write like that? Nobody. I I don't know. That's the other thing.
I assume we're looking at the whole auto pen scam, sir, because the person that ran it said he spoke to briefly twice about nothing. That means that all those partners that he gave to some very bad people, very unpatriotic people, very evil people, it looks to me like those partners are are worthless. Because number one, you shouldn't use an auto pen very specifically. But if you do, it has to be a very good reason. And they have to know that the president wanted it.
The president didn't want this. The president didn't know he was alive. Okay? He never approved any of this stuff. He wasn't for open borders and all the other thing.
He was never for open borders. I've known Biden a long time. He was never very sharp, but he was never in favor of open borders and all of the other things he did to destroy our country. Let's go. Lastly, sir, this is an executive order on flag burning.
@VladTheInflator - Darth Powell
This latest Trump pardon will blow your mind. Spoiler alert, he is.... https://t.co/JDOFHbp2gy
Video Transcript AI Summary
Liz Oyer and Joseph Schwartz discuss Donald Trump’s recent pardon of Joseph Schwartz, owner of Skyline, a nursing home empire with facilities in 11 states. Schwartz stole $38,000,000 from employees’ paychecks intended to cover health care and retirement benefits. He pleaded guilty to tax fraud and in April was sentenced to three years in prison, but last week Trump granted him a full pardon after he served only three months of his sentence. This pardon is notable because in April Trump’s handpicked U.S. Attorney, Alina Habba, issued a press release publicly thanking all agents and investigators who helped convict Schwartz.
The investigation and pardon context: earlier this year Schwartz paid two lobbyists $960,000 to seek a pardon for him. The lobbyists are Jack Berkman and Jacob Wohl, described as far-right conspiracy theorists and convicted felons. They are known for elaborate scams, including attempts to frame public figures for fake sexual assaults. During the 2020 presidential election, Berkman and Wohl ran a voter intimidation campaign targeting Black communities, making tens of thousands of robocalls spreading disinformation to deter voting. They were convicted of felony election fraud charges in Michigan and Ohio and were fined over $6,000,000 by federal and state authorities.
The segment notes that these two convicted fraudsters lobbied for a pardon on behalf of another convicted fraudster, and suggests a potential quid pro quo, though it acknowledges that Trump’s office has not stated a reason for the pardon. The host points out that Schwartz’s pardon has effectively put nearly $1,000,000 into Berkman and Wohl’s pockets and questions whether this constitutes a quid pro quo.
Closing appeal: the host asserts that there is “incredible corruption of the pardon power” and urges viewers to raise awareness by sharing the post and asking elected representatives to demand accountability for presidential pardons.
Full Transcript
Speaker 0: Hey everybody. Donald Trump's latest pardon is going to blow your mind. I'm Liz Oyer, the former pardon attorney for the Department of Justice. This is Joseph Schwartz. He owned a nursing home empire called Skyline with facilities in 11 states.
Schwartz stole $38,000,000 from the paychecks of his employees, money that was supposed to cover their health care and retirement benefits. Schwartz pleaded guilty to tax fraud and in April he was sent enced to three years in prison. But last week, Donald Trump granted him a full pardon after he served just three months of his sentence. This is a strange pardon even for Trump because back in April, Trump's handpicked U. S.
Attorney, Alina Habba, issued a press release publicly thanking all of the agents and investigators who helped put Schwartz in prison. So why did Schwartz get a pardon? Trump hasn't told us. Here's what we know. Earlier this year, Schwartz paid two lobbyists $960,000 to seek a pardon for him.
We know that because the lobbyists filed this disclosure form, which is required by law. So who are these? Lobbyists? Their names are Jack Berkman and Jacob Wohl. They are far right conspiracy theorists and convicted felons.
They are known for elaborate scams, including several failed attempts to frame public figures for phony sexual assaults. During the twenty twenty presidential election, Berkman and Wall ran a voter intimidation campaign targeting Black communities. They made tens of thousands of robocalls spreading disinformation intended to scare people out of voting. They were convicted of felony election fraud charges in Michigan and Ohio. They were also fined over $6,000,000 by federal and state authorities.
But now, things are looking up for these two con artists. Trump's pardon of Joseph Schwartz has put nearly $1,000,000 into their pockets. Is this a quid pro quo for their efforts to help Trump win the twenty twenty election? I don't know. What I do know is that we now have convicted fraudsters lobbying for pardons on behalf of other convicted fraudsters, and it seems to be working.
This incredible corruption of the pardon power is flying under the You can help raise awareness by sharing this post and by asking your elected reps to demand accountability for presidential pardons.