Lawmakers Weigh In On Trump's Blago Tweet
CHICAGO (CBS)--Lawmakers in Springfield today were divided about whether President Trump should follow through with his contemplative Twitter offer to shorten disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's prison term.
Trump floated the idea of pardoning or commuting the sentences of the two former "Apprentice" series stars hours after he pardoned the conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza. Last week, Trump also pardoned the deceased boxer Jack Johnson.
As a highly divisive political figure when he led Illinois, those divisions were evident today, especially among party lines. CBS 2's Derrick Blakley spoke to lawmakers and other political figures today, and reactions were mixed.
"I would think President Trump would have much more important issues to deal with than Rod Blagojevich," Maywood democrat Chris Welch said.
Trump's comments about Blagojevich come three days after Blagojevich published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
In the piece, he argued that "the rule of law is under assault in America," and is being "perverted and abused" by some FBI and Justice Department officials -- comments that closely mirrored Trump's recent rhetoric about the Mueller investigation, FBI and Justice Department officials.
Blagojevich also argued he's being held in prison as a sort of "poster child" for a widely-spread campaign finance problem.
Some democrats Blakley spoke to said Blagojevich has served enough time behind bars.
"I think the time he was given was way too much for his intent," said former Rep. Coy Pugh, who served while Blagojevich was in office.
Former Sen. Annazette Collins echoed Pugh's sentiments.
"He's been there long enough for what he's done, so it's good news," Collins said.
But two republican lawmakers said they believe he should serve out his full 14 year sentence.
"If ever there was a political crime that was the most was the most egregious—certainly if not in the state's history, but the country's," said Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Barrington).
Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) agreed.
"It's six years in and it's not long enough—that's what I believe," she said.
Partisan lines aside, many seemed happy and relieved that his era as governor is in the rearview mirror.
