Trump Still Considering Commuting Blagojevich

CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s still considering whether to sign commutation papers freeing former Illinois governor and one-time “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant Rod Blagojevich from federal prison in Colorado.

Trump told reporters Thursday before leaving from Morristown, New Jersey, that he “floated” the prospect of commutation “to see where the Democrats stood, where the Republicans stood.”

Republican Congressman Darin LaHood of Illinois told WLS-TV on Thursday that he told Trump a commutation wouldn’t send the right message.

The office of Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois also said Trump called Durbin last week to discuss Blagojevich’s sentence and Durbin didn’t take a position on a possible commutation.

Trump previously told reporters he believed the seven years the Democrat Blagojevich has served on a 14-year sentence for corruption was enough.