Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who resigned after attempting to sell or barter President Obama’s seat in the U.S. Senate, has been convicted of a VAST range of corruption, bribery and extortion charges. A jury deemed him guilty on 17 of 20 counts . His attorneys insisted that FBI wiretap recordings in which he discussed many illegal activities were just the ramblings of a politician who liked to think aloud. But Blagojevich, who spent 2 1/2 years becoming a punchline, yet professing his innocence on reality shows and on the witness stand, went down hard. The guilty verdict caps an incredible story in which Rod Blagojevich infamously said, on a tapped phone, that the chance to appoint the Senate successor to Obama after he was elected president was “f—ing golden.” Not something to give away “for f—ing nothing,” in other words. He faces up to 300 years in prison, though sentencing guidelines are sure to reduce his time. Still, prosecutors will likely push to have him incarcerated. Rod may not have a leg to stand on. The Feds had been investigating him for years before the senate seat incident (hence the number of charges). A status hearing for sentencing was set for August 1. [Photo: WENN.com]
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Rod Blagojevich Convicted of 17 Felonies
