Rod Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years in prison

[pwaldo]

http://news.yahoo.com/judgment-day-b...161754110.html

A federal judge today sentenced impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in prison, giving little weight to Blagojevich's first-ever apology this morning since his arrest three years ago.

"The jury didn't believe you and neither did I," U.S. District Court Judge James Zagel said.

Blagojevich was convicted on 18 corruption charges, including the scheme to peddle the vacated Senate seat of Barack Obama.

Since the 1970s, three former Illinois governors have been sent to prison, not to mention several others who have gotten in trouble with the law.

If Blagojevich is sent to jail today, he will join George Ryan, a Republican who was governor from 1999 to 2003, who is serving a prison sentence. After a scandal involving the illegal sale of government licenses, contracts and leases by state employees, Ryan was convicted of corruption in 2006.

But Ryan was merely following in the footsteps of those who came before him. Otto Kerner Jr., a Democrat who was governor from 1961 to 1968, was convicted in 1973 on 17 counts of bribery, conspiracy, perjury and related charges.

Dan Walker, a Democrat who was governor from 1973 to 1977, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury in 1987. Walker was sentenced to seven years in prison.

[freethrowtommy]

Good riddance...