Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich officially disbarred from practicing law by Illinois Supreme Court

ByABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Monday, May 18, 2020
A state panel is recommending former Gov. Rod Blagojevich lose his law license.
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CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will no longer be allowed to practice law in Illinois after being officially disbarred by the state supreme court.

In its ruling, the court said, "A federal jury found that he had committed the offenses of wire fraud, attempted extortion, corrupt solicitation, conspiracy to commit extortion, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and making material false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation"

Earlier this year, Blagojevich was released from prison after his sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump.

RELATED: Rod Blagojevich gives first interview from Chicago home, says his 'conviction was wrong,' thanks President Trump

Rod Blagojevich gave his first interview from his Chicago home after being released from prison.

A state panel had recommended Blagojevich's disbarment. In response to that ruling, Blagojevich gave a statement saying, "I haven't practiced law since 1995. Imagine yourself sitting on a plane and then the pilot announces before takeoff that he hasn't flown in 25 years. Wouldn't you want to get off that plane? I don't want to hurt anybody."

RELATED: State panel recommends Rod Blagojevich lose his law license

Blagojevich was elected as governor in 2002 and won reelection in 2006. He was impeached in 2009. He was convicted on 18 counts related to the attempted sale of Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat and spent more than seven years in federal prison.

The former governor is set to debut his new podcast this week called "The Lightning Rod."

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