Trump expected to forgive the former Illinois -Guerger Rod Blagojevich

President Donald Trump on Monday issued a full pardon to former Illinois government manager Rod Blagojevich.

Blagojevich, 68, who was a Democrat while he was in office, had served eight years in prison on charges derived from his efforts to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat after Obama won the 2008 presidential election.

“It’s my pleasure,” Trump said, under comments in the oval office, adding, “I think he is a very fine person, this should have happened to him.”

Trump commuted Blagojevich’s 14-year-old judgment in 2020.

Axios first reported About Trump’s plans to forgive Blagojevich.

Blagojevich was convicted in 2009 for lying to a FBI agent. Jurist Deadlocked on other counts. In his attempt in 2011, he was found guilty of all counts after government recordings revealed his attempt to sell Obama’s seat. He was also convicted of shaking a child hospitality director for campaign contributions and holding a bill that involved the horse -racing industry in exchange for campaign contributions.

Between the trials he was a participant in Trump’s reality -tv show “The Celebrity Apprentice” in 2010.

Blagojevich became impeached and expelled from Embed in January 2009, after he refused to resign after his arrest the year before on a litany with corruption fees.

Blagojevich’s long -time lawyer Shelly Sorosky on Monday called the opportunity to pardon something that has been “on the radar” for some time. Sorosky continued to describe Blagojevich and Trump who had a “good, friendly relationship.”

NBC News was unable to contact Blagojevich for comment Monday.

For years, Blagojevich’s name was synonymous with corruption in Illinois, after the FBI recordings revealed his patterns of trade in government actions to personal advantage.

In 2019, Illinois’ Republican Congress Delegation sent Trump a letter To ask him not to commute the former governor’s verdict and said it sent a wrong message. Trump on his first period, Trump commuted his period anyway.

“It is important that we take a strong position against pay-to-play policy, especially in Illinois, where four of our last eight governors have gone to federal prison for public corruption,” they wrote. “Commuting the verdict from Rod Blagojevich, who has a clear and documented list of irregular corruption, puts a dangerous precedent and goes against the place of confidence in elected officials. ”