Former Illinois Governor And Ex-Con Torches Newsom Over Potential Senate Pick

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich — who went to prison on corruption charges after he was charged with attempting to “sell” former President Barack Obama’s Senate seat — had something to say about Governor Gavin Newsom.

Blagojevich took to X to weigh in on the predicament in which Newsom currently finds himself — needing to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated on Friday when the news broke that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) had died at the age of 90.

“Blago” shared a photo of himself with Obama, asking in the caption, “Will DOJ criminalize the back room wheeling and dealing that’s begun to fill Feinstein’s vacant seat?”

Will DOJ criminalize the back room wheeling & dealing that’s begun to fill Feinstein’s vacant seat? I got 14 years for merely talking after Obama sent an emissary to discuss possible political deals. He did 8 years in the White House while I did 8 years in the Big House.… pic.twitter.com/WUcSCNqqzB

— Rod Blagojevich (@realBlagojevich) September 29, 2023

“I got 14 years for merely talking after Obama sent an emissary to discuss possible political deals,” Blagojevich continued. “He did 8 years in the White House while I did 8 years in the Big House. Hopefully Newsom goes to NEITHER.”

Blagojevich was a Democrat when he was elected to serve as Illinois governor, but declared himself a “Trumpocrat” after former President Donald Trump stepped in and had his sentence commuted.

“President Trump is the one who did this and I’m profoundly grateful,” Blagojevich said at the time. “He’s got, obviously, a big fan in me, and if you’re asking me what my party affiliation is, I’m a Trumpocrat.”

Since then, the former governor has spoken out on a number of issues — including the prosecution of former Trump National Security Advisor Mike Flynn — saying that the FBI had used the playbook on him first.

“What they succeeded in doing at the Triple-A level to a Democratic governor, they tried to do at the Major League level to a Republican President,” Blagojevich told The Daily Caller in 2020.

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He went on to say that the ultimate goal in both cases was to undo the results of a free and fair election, thus undermining the will of the people.

“This cannot be a Democratic or Republican issue. It is far too important,” he declared. “What these corrupt prosecutors and FBI agents are doing threatens the fundamental rights of the American people to choose their own leaders through free elections.”