Anderson Cooper SLAMS Rod Blagojevich for calling himself a ‘political prisoner’

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was slammed by Anderson Cooper for declaring he is a ‘political prisoner’ four days after President Donald Trump commuted the 14-year prison sentence he received for extortion, bribery and fraud.

Blagojevich’s, 63, remarks came during a heated interview with CNN began Friday evening with a debate over evidence used in his 2008 case. 

When Cooper points out that Blagojevich is ‘portraying himself a victim of persecution by prosecutors,’ the former Democratic politician responded that he is still being treated unjustly.  

‘I don’t think they’ve looked carefully because I am a political prisoner,’ he said. 

After Blagojevich makes the comments, Cooper quickly swoops in and pushes back by noting that political prisoners do not get due process and that a jury willfully chose to convict him. 

Additionally, an appeals court looked over the case and Blagojevich appealed to the Supreme Court twice to no avail.  

Cooper continued to question Blagojevich’s ‘political prisoner’ remark and noted that Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa who was jailed for fighting fighting apartheid, was a more apt example.

In response, Blagojevich said: ‘If you were to ask Nelson Mandela whether he thought the process was fair back in the early ’60s in South Africa, he would say what I’m saying today.’

The two men also butted heads when Blagojevich said he wants to champion criminal justice system reform after spending eight years in prison. 

Cooper (left) called out Blagojevich (right) for blaming is conviction on a ‘handful of corrupt prosecutors’ who allegedly lied to the jury during his trial 

He said: ‘I’ve learned something in these eight years, and that is that we have a racist and corrupt criminal justice system in many areas.

‘And this is why I hope one day maybe you’ll join me in the fight to reform our criminal justice system.”

Cooper called Blagojevich ‘sad’, ‘pathetic’ and ‘ironic’ for praising criminal reform now instead of when he ‘actually mattered.’

‘There’s a lot of people in Illinois who actually… spit up when you say that,” he said.

‘Because when you were actually in power, and when you were actually governor, you could have helped thousands of people with clemency cases [but] you blew it off.’

Blagojevich went on to blame a ‘handful of corrupt prosecutors’ that were abusing their power for his lengthy prison sentence.

He said: ‘They’re uncontrolled and they’re the ones Chief Justice Breyer talked about when he said our country is in trouble.

‘Because of these uncontrolled prosecutors who can do just about anything they want to do and are using their power to go after government officials for what are — what he called routine practices, and that’s what I went to prison for.’

Blagojevich also claimed that his time behind bars was orchestrated by prosecutors who ‘lied to the jury’ about his legal actions. 

In response to Cooper calling his claims that he was purposefully derailed ‘bull****’, Blagojevich said: ‘I lived it myself. It’s not bull**** at all’ 

‘What I’m saying is, I was thrown in prison and spent nearly eight years in prison for practicing politics — for seeking campaign contributions without a quid pro quo,’ he said.

‘No express quid pro quo — and I was given the same standards Senator Menendez was given. I could very well have been in the U.S. Senate instead of where I was.’

Cooper then said Blagojevich’s claims were not believable during his trial and they still don’t hold up years later. 

‘You’re the one who has actually been convicted of lying to the FBI, though, by that very same jury,’ Cooper said.

‘The very argument you are making right now…it was heard in the courtroom and no one bought it.

Cooper finished the segment by declaring Blagojevich manufactured ‘a whole new alternate universe of facts, and that may be big in politics today, but it’s still, frankly, just bull****. We got to leave it there.’

An upset Blagojevich hit back at Cooper saying: ‘Well, no, it’s not bull****. I lived it myself. It’s not bull**** at all.’ 

Blagojevich (pictured) was first arrested inside his home in 2008 over several accusations, including that he attempted to solicit Barack Obama’s Senate seat after he won presidency 

In 2008, Blagojevich was arrested inside his home by the FBI and taken before a federal magistrate on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and soliciting bribes while in office. 

He was also accused of attempting to profit from soliciting former President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat after he left for the White House in 2008. 

One month later, Blagojevich was impeached from office by the Illinois House with an astounding vote of 114 to one. 

The U.S. Senate would remove Blagojevich from his position just weeks later in a 59 to zero vote.

He gave a mercy plea that he ‘never, ever intended to violate the law’ before senators.

Prosecutors would later add racketeering, fraud and extortion charges to Blagojevich’s rap sheet. 

Throughout the ordeal, Blagojevich maintained his innocence and denied engaging in any wrongdoing.  

A deadlocked jury convicted Blagojevich of just one out of 24 charges and it was later called a mistrial. 

In 2011, a retrial would take place that would see Blagojevich convicted of 17 charges and a 14-year sentence in federal prison.

The former Gov. of Illinois was found guilty on 17 out of 20 charges during a 2011 retrial following his 2008 arrest 

Blagojevich was sentenced to a 14-year federal prison sentence in Illinois in 2011 (pictured), but his sentence was commuted by President Trump in 2020

‘I, frankly, am stunned,’ Blagojevich said at the time, according to the Chicago Tribune.

‘There’s not much left to say other than we want to get home to our little girls and talk to them and explain things to them and try to sort things out.’ 

The Supreme Court and an appeals court would not sway Blagojevich’s sentencing and he served eight years. 

However, President Donald Trump agreed to commute his prison sentence in February 2020 and he was officially released on the 18th.

‘What he did was I think something that deserves a great amount of appreciation on my part personally, and he has from me my deepest, most profound and everlasting gratitude,’ Blagojevich said of Trump to reporters.

‘I can’t wait to get home. I miss my daughters. I miss my wife. I miss home.’

Blagojevich waves to friend and family when giving a press conference at his Chicago home after Trump commuted his sentence in February

Since his release from federal prison, Blagojevich (left) has expressed gratitude to Trump (right) and said he is a ‘Trumpcrat’ 

Trump first mention the potential of commuting Blagojevich’s prison sentence in 2018 and later double downed on the stance in August 2019. 

He said: ‘Rod Blagojevich, the former Governor of Illinois, was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He has served 7 years.’

‘Many people have asked that I study the possibility of commuting his sentence in that it was a very severe one. White House staff is continuing the review of this matter.’ 

Trump later called Blagojevich’s sentencing ‘tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence’ and seemed to backup claims that the prosecution was unfair. 

Blagojevich (pictured): ‘What [Trump] did was I think something that deserves a great amount of appreciation on my part personally, and he has from me my deepest, most profound and everlasting gratitude’ 

‘[The case] was a prosecution by the same people, Comey, Fitzpatrick, the same group,’ he said.

Trump’s reference to former FBI director James Comey stems back to a tumultuous investigation into his possible connections with Russia during the 2016 election. 

The President repeatedly asserted that he was being unjustly targeted by members of the FBI and Democrats,.

Trump addressed commuting the sentence by once again calling out Comey. 

‘Rod Blagojevich did not sell the Senate seat. He served 8 years in prison, with many remaining. He paid a big price. Another Comey and gang deal!’ he said. 

Blagojevich has since dubbed himself a ‘Trumpocrat’ in recognition to Trump.