Blagojevich's Wife, Brother React To News Of Possible Commutation
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Governor Rod Blagojevich's wife, Patti Blagojevich, is reacting to the news of President Donald Trump possibly letting her husband out of prison early.
With all legal options exhausted, Thursday's comments by President Donald Trump seem to be a good sign for the disgraced governor.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports the President made his remarks without prompting, as he was discussing another pardon. His talk of shortening Blagojevich's sentence comes before the official request was even made.
"Just keep our fingers crossed," stated Patti Blagojevich, hours after hearing President Donald Trump say he was considering commuting her husband Rod Blagojevich's 14-year prison sentence.
On Air Force One Thursday, President Trump stated, "And he's a democrat. He's not my party, but I thought that he was treated unfairly."
"I believe if you asked 100 lawyers and 100 judges, 99% of them would say the 14 year sentence was too long," stated CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller.
The President's comments come days after the former governor pleaded his case of wrongful conviction in the Wall Street Journal.
Patti Blagojevich has been doing the same, repeating claims of unfair prosecution on Fox News. The concerns resonate with Trump as he, too, is under federal investigation.
Patti Blagojevich said, "These same people are trying to do the same thing that they did to my husband, just on a larger scale."
Former Federal Prosecutor Patrick Collins stated, "I think it's been very effective and very cynical in terms of getting to this jury of one."
Collins, who also believes Blagojevich's sentence is excessive, says others have reached out to Trump on Blagojevich's behalf, introducing his brother Robert, the co-defendant in his first trial.
"I've written to him and I've spoken to people very close to him over the past six or eight months. I've been effective as I could trying to help him out quietly," Robert Blagojevich told CBS 2.
Blagojevich's attorney tells CBS 2 he planned to send a formal petition for commutation to the oval office soon.
President Trump did not say when he might commute his sentence, or if he will, in fact, do so.