Trump commutes 14-year sentence of former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich amid blitz of pardons

Rod Blagojevich,Donald Trump,Illinois,Corruption,White House,Politics

Posted on AllSides February 18, 2020

From the Left

AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left

See full bias rating for USA TODAY Learn about media bias

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump commuted the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday, one of several high-profile grants of clemency he issued as he ramped up his criticism of federal prosecutions.

Trump announced pardons for former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, rogue financier Michael Milken and former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who pleaded guilty in a gambling fraud case in the late 1990s. The president said he has not decided what to do with convicted allies Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.

Read Full Story

Related Coverage

AllSides Picks

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Headline Roundup

Stephen Miller to Replace Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff

November 6th, 2026

Tracking Trump’s Campaign Promises

News

Tracking Trump’s Campaign Promises

AllSides Staff

November 7th, 2026

When Jeffrey Epstein Decides the Midterms

Recommended Reading

When Jeffrey Epstein Decides the Midterms

Dan Schnur

October 26th, 2026

Card image

Red Blue Translator

Left-Wing

More News about Politics

News from the Left

News from the Center

News from the Right

Trump names Stephen Miller his new chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles

NBC News Digital

Stephen Miller's 6 Key Priorities as White House Chief of Staff

Newsweek

Trump answers defeat by defiantly naming Stephen Miller chief of staff

Washington Examiner

Progressive victories are now too loud to dismiss

Politico

Get ready for Left populism

UnHerd

Here Come the Socialists

Noah Rothman

GOP's defense of its gerrymandering: The rout could have been even worse

The Washington Post

Top Military Admiral Briefs Trump on Iran Options

Wall Street Journal (News)

JD Vance can't escape MAGA's shadow

Emily Jashinsky

5 healthcare fights Democrats could take on after midterms sweep

NBC News Digital

Democrats Lead Republicans on Party Favorability and Economy Three Weeks Before Midterms

Gallup

Under pressure from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran.

Tucker Carlson

Trump has frank call with Netanyahu about next move in Iran war

Axios

The global Right-wing alliance is a fantasy

UnHerd

Midterm voters reveal what's driving them to the polls — but what they're voting against may matter more

Fox News Digital

Voters fear the America they've known is slipping away. On that, the left and right agree

Associated Press

Poland's Constitutional Tribunal crisis explained: a decade-long dispute over legitimacy of the justice

Euronews

Democrat Haley Stevens Endorses Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate Race

National Review (News)

Inside the Abdul El-Sayed-Haley Stevens Meltdown in Michigan

New York Times (News)

Democrat Stevens defends endorsement switch to Republican Rogers two days before election

BBC News

Even WaPo forced to admit there's a BIG problem with election polling

Blaze Media

Are Trump Voters Refusing to Take Polls? And Other Polling Risks.

New York Times (Opinion)

Sen. Chris Murphy Hospitalized After Stroke

Wall Street Journal (News)

Half of Seattle Businesses Are Looking to Downsize or Leave the City Entirely

Townhall

No clear winner in Israel election with nearly 90 percent of votes counted

Al Jazeera

The 2026 Midterms Will Be Uniquely Difficult for Polls

Pew Research Center

Troy Jackson's 'Logging' Company Is Actually a Consulting Firm, Records Show

Washington Free Beacon

Dolores Huerta, Labor Leader and Force for Civil Rights, Has Died

New York Times (News)

Trump calls $50 million contract for ex-lawyer Habba Mildon 'not acceptable'

Reuters

Incremental Socialism

American Thinker