Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich reportedly has lost his law license, according to a Springfield TV station.
Blagojevich, who won his freedom when President Donald Trump commuted his prison sentence, reportedly was disbarred by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, according to WICS.
Both parties reportedly have 21 days to file an appeal to the ARDC’s Review Board, according to the TV station. If an appeal is filed, the case will be briefed before the board, and the board will issue a report.
»Click here to get the new AJC Mobile App
If no appeal is taken, the ARDC will send the Hearing Board’s report to the Illinois Supreme Court as an agreed manner, WICS reported Tuesday.
Twenty-one days after the report is sent, the ARDC will file a motion to approve and confirm the Hearing Board’s report, according to the Springfield TV station.
Credit: Mark Welsh
Credit: Mark Welsh
At a hearing Feb. 25 before a panel of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, commission attorneys urged the panel to recommend that Blagojevich's suspended license be permanently revoked.
Making their case, the attorneys reminded the panel about some of the things that led to Blagojevich’s conviction and 14-year prison sentence, which Trump put a stop to after about eight years. They spoke about the former governor’s attempts to auction off an appointment to President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat and how Blagojevich tried to shake down the CEO of a children’s hospital.
Blagojevich didn’t attend the hearing, but his attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, echoed the argument that Blagojevich has been making since even before his 2011 conviction on corruption charges and since his release from prison: that he didn’t break the law.
A three-member panel issued its report to the commission review board.
Rich Barak of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this report.
About the Author
