Trump grants clemency to white-collar convicts

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday commuted the 14-year sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who would have remained in prison until 2024. A jury convicted Blagojevich, a Democrat, of corruption in 2011 for attempting to sell President Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat and shake down a hospital. Critics such as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot denounced the commutation as unjust.

Who else received clemency? Ten others, including former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who had served three years in prison beginning 2010 for tax fraud and lying to officials, and the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, Edward DeBartolo, who pleaded guilty in 1998 to covering up an extortion plot over casino licensing.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Jamie Dean’s report on Blagojevich’s crimes.

Kent Covington

Kent is a reporter and news anchor for WORLD Radio. He spent nearly two decades in Christian and news/talk radio before joining WORLD in 2012. He resides in Atlanta, Ga.

@kentcovington