Scott Paulson + Chicago Conservative Examiner
Rod Blagojevich, 55, has been called many things and given many monikers during his political career - most notably, Blago - and now he has another one.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons issues prisoners a number that identifies them during a prison stay, and the prison has issued disgraced, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich a number for his 14-year stay in prison. The number is 40982-424.
Next week, on March 15, 2012, the former governor of the Land of Lincoln will serve his first day in federal prison. The prison chosen for Blagojevich’s punishment is the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Littleton, Colorado near Denver.
Federal Court Judge James Zagel sentenced Blagojevich to the 14-year prison term after conducting two trials in downtown Chicago at the Dirksen Federal building. The highly-publicized trials monopolized headlines throughout Chicago, Illinois, and the nation as Blagojevich insisted he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Yet, since being thrown out of office in 2008, he has been found guilty of 17 counts of federal corruption.
The most unusual charge of the numerous charges was the attempt to sell or profit from President Barack Obama’s former senate seat in the U.S. Congress. Blagojevich had the responsibility of assigning Illinois’ next U.S. senator when he was secretly recorded saying such things as: ‘This is f---ing golden!’ He reportedly also said that he wasn’t giving the seat away for nothing.
Blagojevich has a wife, Patti, and two school-aged daughters.
Another former Illinois governor, George Ryan, is still serving a prison term for wrongdoings prior to Blagojevich’s.
The primary sources of this article are the Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
