CRYSTAL LAKE – State Rep Barbara Salvi Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) called for President Obama to shorten disgraced former Democrat governor Rod Blagojevich's jail sentence Tuesday on her Facebook page.
"I am just going to put this out there …Blagojevich didn't deserve 14 years. If Obama can do one thing right on his way out … shortening his sentence could be it," Wheeler, an attorney, wrote.
Blagojevich has asked Obama to commute his 14 year sentence.
After being impeached out of office by the Democrat-controlled Illinois General Assembly, Blagojevich was found guilty by a jury for conspiring to commit several "pay to play" schemes, including attempting "to obtain personal gain … through the corrupt use" of his authority to fill Barack Obama's vacated United States Senate seat, claiming that in wiretapped recordings Blagojevich discussed his desire to get something in exchange for an appointment to the seat.
He was eventually found guilty on charges pertaining to the senate seat, as well as extortion relating to state funds being directed towards a children's hospital and race track.
On December 7, 2011, Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Blagojevich's sentence was too much, Wheeler said on Facebook, and reaction on her Facebook page was divided. One responder said Blagojevich abused public trust, and Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran agreed with Wheeler, saying the former governor's sentence was "too long." (Curran later removed his comment from the thread.)
