In his first public statement since entering a federal prison more than three years ago to begin a 14 year sentence, Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois two-term governor says he will “fight on” because “what is at stake is nothing less than the rule of law.”
The statement comes on the same day as his legal team asked the full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review his conviction. Two weeks ago, a three-judge panel representing the appeals court tossed five of the 18 counts against him.
“These have been hard years for my family—for our children and for my wife, Patti, and me,” Blagojevich says in the statement from prison near Denver, CO. “There is nothing I desire more than to return home to my wife and two young daughters. I cherish them more than anything in the world. I wish this was over. But I must fight on.”
Len Goodman, Blagojevich’s appellate lawyer, filed for the en banc hearing on behalf of his client before today’s deadline.
TO DOWNLOAD: En Banc Hearing filing
Blagojevich asked the media and public to read the filing.
“What is at stake is nothing less than the rule of law. I urge the media and the public to please read the court filing carefully,” Blagojevich says. “Fundraising is a part of the job of every politician. The jury instructions used to convict me in my case are not the law. It makes the standard so low that any politician can be jailed at the whim of an ambitious prosecutor. That standard is wrong and needs to be corrected.”
FULL STATEMENT FROM ROD BLAGOJEVICH:
“It has been almost three and a half years since I left home and reported to prison. These have been hard years for my family—for our children and for my wife, Patti, and me. Yet we continue to have faith in the truth; in the righteousness of our cause; in the rule of law and in America; in each other; and, most of all, in God. There is nothing I desire more than to return home to my wife and two young daughters. I cherish them more than anything in the world. I wish this was over. But I must fight on. What is at stake is nothing less than the rule of law. I urge the media and the public to please read the court filing carefully. Fundraising is a part of the job of every politician. The jury instructions used to convict me in my case are not the law. It makes the standard so low that any politician can be jailed at the whim of an ambitious prosecutor. That standard is wrong and needs to be corrected.”
For all media requests, please use the contacts below. The PR team is handling requests for Rod and Patti Blagojevich as well as appellate attorney Leonard Goodman.
For the latest from the Blagojevich appeal: http://thepublicityagency.com/the-blagojevich-appeal/ and please follow @publicityagency on Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Glenn Selig
The Publicity Agency
Cell Phone or Text: 813-300-5454
Office: 813-708-1220 x7777
Email: [email protected]
www.thepublicityagency.com
Tyler Ragghianti
The Publicity Agency
Cell phone or Text: 813-295-3269
Office: 813-708-1220 x7780
Email: [email protected]
www.thepublicityagency.com
SOURCE: The Publicity Agency
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