President Donald Trump is expected to issue a full pardon for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday, according to a person with knowledge of the plans but not authorized to speak publicly about them.
The expected pardon, first reported by Axios, follows reporting that Blagojevich could also be appointed as ambassador to Serbia. It would mirror Charles Kushner, who was convicted of tax evasion and was pardoned before being appointed as an ambassador. A person close to Blagojevich declined to say if the former governor was under consideration for the ambassador role.
The person, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, said they had “no clue” what to expect.
Blagojevich, who is of Serbian and Croatian descent, has traveled twice to Serbia in recent months for trips funded by private donors — not the president, according to a second person close to the former governor and granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 on charges that included trying to sell or trade the appointment to the Senate seat that had been held by Barack Obama after he was elected president, and on charges of extorting a Chicago children’s hospital. Trump commuted his sentence five years ago as part of a slate of other pardons and commutations. Blagojevich is one of four Illinois governors to serve time in prison.
Since his sentence was commuted, Blagojevich has been a fierce defender of Trump as the president has faced his own legal battles.
Once a Democrat, Blagojevich now calls himself a “Trumpocrat” and raised money for Trump’s re-election bid. Blagojevich also appeared on Trump’s former reality television show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” in 2010.
A spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker declined to comment.
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