The jury was hung on all but one count, however, they convicted him for lying to the FBI, which could get him five years in prison. The actual sentence will likely be less under federal guidelines, according to the Associated Press.
The jury also was hung on four counts against the disgraced former governor’s brother, Robert Blagojevich.
The 23 other charges against Rod Blagojevich ranged from trying to sell or trade the seat that belonged to former Senator and current president Barack Obama. Other charges included wire and mail fraud.
The verdict was made following an eleven week trial, and on the 14th day of deliberations.
As the verdict was being read, Blagojevich looked somber and showed no emotion. When addressing reporters outside the courtroom, however, he returned to his lively self.
“This jury shows you that the government threw everything but the kitchen sink at me,” Blagojevich said. “They could not prove I did anything wrong. Except for one nebulous charge from five years ago.”
He added that he plans on appealing the lone conviction, which was that he made false statements to federal agents that he did not track campaign contributions.
The FBI placed a wiretap on his phones and recorded thousands of hours of conversations. In his defense, Blagojevich’s attorneys said that he was just being boisterous and didn’t actually do anything wrong.
Prosecutors led by Illinois US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said they would continue to try the former governor again after Judge James B. Zagel declared a mistrial. Zagel ordered a hearing for a new trial on Aug. 26, AP reported.
Blagojevich was ousted from office by the Illinois state senate in 2009.
Friends Read Free