Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is due to arrive at a Colorado federal prison on Thursday to serve a 14-year sentence on a corruption conviction. In June 2011, Blagojevich was charged with corruption after a jury turned 17 guilty verdicts against him. Along with other allegations, the former governor was also accused of trying to profit as he considered a candidate to take President Barack Obama’s open Senate seat.
On Wednesday, a supporting crowd gathered outside Blagojevich’s Chicago home as he said, “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But this is the law and we follow the law.” He called his impending prison period a “dark and hard journey.” His wife, Patti, remained under his arm, holding back tears as her husband spoke. “This, as bad as it is, is part of a long and hard journey that will only get worse before it gets better,” Blagojevich said, telling Patti that he loved her. The former governor will serve his time at Federal Correctional Institution Englewood, southwest of Denver.
