Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted on 17 public corruption charges Monday, related to his attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.
The jury, comprised of eleven women and one man reached the verdict after ten days of deliberation following a trial that began on April 20.
Blagojevich was found guilty of 10 counts of wire fraud, each carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The other seven counts involved extortion and bribery and most of those counts also carry a penalty of 20 years. The jury cleared him on one count and they were unable to reach a verdict for two others.
A federal grand jury indicted him in April 2009. The most damaging evidence was a telephone recording where the governor said: “I’ve got this thing and it’s (expletive) golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing. I’m not gonna do it.”
After today’s verdict, the convicted politician said: “I frankly am stunned. There’s not much left to say, other than we want to get home to our little girls and talk to them and explain things to them and then try to sort things out. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you guys again.”
U.S. District Judge James Zagel did not immediately set a date for sentencing, but he instructed Blagojevich that he cannot travel outside the northern district of Illinois without seeking permission from the court.
Rod’s wife Patti Blagojevich, 46, who has a bachelor’s degree in economics, appeared on the reality show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me out of Here shortly after her husband resigned as the Illinois governor. She placed 4th in the competition that was filmed in Costa Rica, while her out-of-work husband remained at home with the couple’s two daughters.
See a photo of Mrs. Blagojevich and view video of the couple leaving the courthouse below:
Photo: WENN