By Sean Copeland
CHICAGO – Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has broken his silence from prison, where he says he’s taking it “one day at a time.”
Blagojevich has served just over 5 years into his 14 year prison sentence, after being convicted on corruption charges. Blagojevich discussed his time in prison, his family and his continuing hopes for exoneration during the two hour interview airing this week on NBC-5 in Chicago.
“I’ve been given the jurisdiction to sweep and mop two floors,” he says. “So my jurisdiction has shrunk from the fifth biggest state in America, to these two floors. But I don’t care what anybody says, I believe in clean government, and I believe in clean floors.”
Blagojevich told a federal appeals court last year that he wishes he could “make different choices” but remains hopeful that he will be exonerated.
“Do you realize, I have twice been given a longer prison sentence than Al Capone?” he says. “I’ve been given a prison sentence by the same judge who gave a mafia hit man…he acknowledged under oath, a contract killer, my judge gave me a longer sentence than him!”
The 60-year-old Blagojevich was convicted of trying to sell President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat in 2008.
“Every mile I run, every push-up I do, every book I read, every word I write is my way of fighting back as I prepare for what I hope one day will be a better day,” said the former governor.
Sean Copeland can be reached at [email protected].
