Just after returning to his Chicago home, Rod Blagojevich peeks from his window early Feb. 19, 2020. President Trump commuted his sentence on Tuesday. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
With 20 minutes to spare, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich landed in Chicago the same day his 14-year prison sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump, warmly welcoming other people at O’Hare International Airport who approached with hand waves and autograph requests.
Repeating the phrase, “There’s no place like home,” Blagojevich stepped off the jetway bridge and thanked Trump.
“I’m profoundly grateful to President Trump, and I will be for as long as I live,” Blagojevich told reporters. “He didn’t have to do this. He’s a Republican president. I was a Democratic governor. But he’s a man who’s not only tough and outspoken, strong, but he has a kind heart. And I’ll be forever grateful.”
The abrupt journey home began when the president announced Tuesday the notorious Chicago Democrat would be freed from federal prison following years of imploring from Blagojevich and his wife. Now 63, Blagojevich was scheduled to be released in March 2024 after being convicted of trying to sell former President Barack Obama’s Senate seat as well as shaking down the executives of a children’s hospital and the horse-racing industry for campaign contributions.
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