Who Is Rod Blagojevich

Rod Blagojevich (Chicago, December 10, 1956), also known by the nickname “Blago,” is an American politician of Serbian descent. He served as the 40th governor of Illinois from January 13, 2003, to January 29, 2009. Before that, he worked as a lawyer, served in the Illinois House of Representatives and sat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

His career is remembered for its unusual range: from ambitious health care programs to the biggest political scandal in the history of Illinois. Federal prosecutors accused him of trying to sell or trade the appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. As a result, he was removed from office, convicted and sent to prison.

In 2020, President Donald Trump commuted his sentence, and in 2025 he pardoned him. Today Blagojevich works as a political commentator and is a prominent supporter of Trump, while the public in Serbia also follows him because of his father’s origins.

Background and Early Life

Rod Blagojevich was born in Chicago, the second of two sons of immigrants from Yugoslavia. His father, Radislav (also given as Rade in some sources), worked as a steelworker and came from a village near Kragujevac in Serbia. His mother, Mila, née Govedarica, was of Serbian descent from Herzegovina, and her family originally came from the area around Gacko. His parents moved to Chicago in 1947. Sources differ on the number of children in the family: older texts mention four children, while more recent sources state two sons.

He grew up in a working-class environment. He attended Lane Tech High School and then transferred to Foreman High School, where he graduated. In his youth he took part in amateur boxing and competed in Chicago’s Golden Gloves tournaments in the mid-1970s. He has often stressed that he inherited his work ethic and drive to succeed from a family of immigrants.

He has no middle name. He uses the initial “R” in memory of his father, as several sources note.

Education

Rod Blagojevich earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in 1979. He then enrolled at Pepperdine University School of Law in California and graduated in 1983 with a Juris Doctor (J.D.).

After returning to Chicago, he began working as a lawyer. That professional path later opened the door to the state’s attorney’s office and to politics.

Start of His Career

From the mid-1980s, Blagojevich worked as a lawyer in private practice, and from 1986 to 1988 he served as an assistant state’s attorney in Cook County. He became more seriously involved in politics through Chicago’s political circles, where his rise was tied to the family of his wife. Her father, Richard Mell, was an influential Chicago alderman.

In 1992, he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives from the 33rd District, defeating the sitting representative, Myron Kulas. He remained in the state legislature until January 1997. That period served as a springboard to the national political stage.

Rise in the U.S. Congress

In the 1996 elections, Blagojevich ran for Congress in Illinois’s 5th congressional district, on Chicago’s North Side. The district had previously been represented by Dan Rostenkowski, one of the most powerful figures in the House of Representatives. Blagojevich defeated the Republican Michael Flanagan, who had served only a single term.

He remained in Congress from January 3, 1997, to January 3, 2003. He was re-elected twice and was a member of the Congressional Serbian Caucus. His successor in the seat was Rahm Emanuel, who later served as chief of staff to President Obama.

Election as Governor of Illinois

In 2001, Blagojevich announced his candidacy for governor of Illinois under a slogan about “ending business as usual.” The previous administration, led by the Republican George Ryan, had been dogged by corruption scandals, so the message of cleaning up state government resonated with voters.

In the Democratic primary, he defeated former state attorney general Roland Burris and former Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas. In the 2002 general election, he beat the Republican Jim Ryan. That made him the first Democrat to lead Illinois since 1972.

He was also only the second Serbian American elected governor of any U.S. state, after George Voinovich of Ohio. He was re-elected governor in 2006. His lieutenant governor was Pat Quinn.

Term as Governor of Illinois

Health Care Policy

Blagojevich’s best-known policy initiatives concerned health care. During his term, the FamilyCare program, which covers health care for the parents of children from lower-income families, was expanded. According to official statements, he extended health coverage to around 400,000 Illinois residents.

The most important program was “All Kids,” signed on November 15, 2005. Its goal was to give every child in Illinois access to affordable health insurance. For this, he received the “Hero of Health Care” award from the national organization America’s Agenda in 2006.

Public Transit and Other Measures

Among his measures was free public transit for senior citizens in the Chicago region. He also expanded a program of free breast and cervical cancer screenings for uninsured women. His critics, including organizations that monitor state finances, argued that some programs were too expensive for the state budget over the long term.

Disputes During His Term

In 2004, Blagojevich drew international attention when, during a flu vaccine shortage, he paid about $2.6 million to a British firm to obtain vaccines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked their import, so the vaccines never reached the residents of Illinois.

In 2005, a public feud also broke out with his father-in-law, Richard Mell, who had previously been one of his most important political patrons. Soon afterward, federal investigations began into how his administration hired people and awarded contracts.

Arrest and the Senate Seat Scandal

On December 9, 2008, Blagojevich was arrested at his home in Chicago. His chief of staff, John Harris, was arrested along with him. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald accused him of several schemes in which he allegedly used his office for personal and political gain.

The best-known charge concerned the vacant seat in the U.S. Senate left after Barack Obama was elected president. According to the complaint and recorded conversations, Blagojevich considered trading that appointment for money, political benefits, a job or a position. The charges also covered alleged pressure on the Chicago Tribune over the sale of Wrigley Field, as well as an alleged shakedown connected to a children’s hospital. Throughout the proceedings, Blagojevich maintained that he was innocent.

Neither Obama nor his team was a target of the investigation. Although numerous politicians called on him to resign, on December 30, 2008, Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to the vacant seat. Senate leaders initially refused to seat him, but Burris ultimately took the seat.

Impeachment and Removal from Office

On January 9, 2009, the Illinois House of Representatives voted to impeach the governor by a margin of 114 to 1. The trial in the Illinois Senate began in late January. Blagojevich did not attend, appearing instead on “Larry King Live,” “The View” and “Good Morning America.”

On January 29, 2009, the Senate unanimously, 59 to 0, voted to remove him from office. It also permanently barred him from holding public office in Illinois. Blagojevich thus became the only governor of that state to be impeached and removed. His successor in office was Pat Quinn.

Trials and Verdicts

On April 2, 2009, a federal grand jury returned a 16-count indictment against Blagojevich. On April 14, 2009, he pleaded not guilty. That same year he published his autobiography, “The Governor,” and in 2010 he appeared as a contestant on the television show “Celebrity Apprentice,” hosted by Donald Trump.

The first trial began on June 3, 2010. On August 17, 2010, after 14 days of deliberation, the jury found Blagojevich guilty of making false statements to federal investigators, but could not agree on the 23 remaining counts. The charges against his brother Robert, who had run his campaign fund, were dropped.

The second trial began on May 2, 2011. The indictment had by then been simplified. On June 27, 2011, the jury found Blagojevich guilty on 17 of 20 counts, including wire fraud, attempted extortion and conspiracy to solicit a bribe. Judge James Zagel sentenced him to 14 years in federal prison on December 7, 2011.

Prison and Appeals

On March 15, 2012, Blagojevich reported to a federal correctional institution in Littleton, Colorado, to serve his sentence. During his time in prison, he taught Civil War history classes to other inmates and sang in a prison band called “The Jailhouse Rockers.”

On July 21, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated five of the 18 counts of conviction, reasoning that prosecutors had not proven he broke the law by seeking a post in Obama’s cabinet in exchange for the Senate appointment. In March 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal. Prosecutors chose not to retry the vacated counts.

On August 9, 2016, Judge Zagel again imposed the same 14-year sentence, with Blagojevich taking part in the hearing by video link from prison. The appeals court upheld that decision in 2017, and on April 16, 2018, the Supreme Court again rejected his request. His wife Patti often appeared on television during those years and called for his release.

Commutation and Pardon

On February 18, 2020, President Donald Trump commuted Blagojevich’s sentence. Blagojevich was released from prison after about eight years behind bars. Trump argued that the sentence had been excessive and unfair. The decision drew criticism in Illinois, including from Governor J. B. Pritzker.

On February 10, 2025, Trump granted him a full pardon. Senator Dick Durbin publicly condemned the decision. Blagojevich said that, as a private citizen, he would keep fighting for what he considers just. The pardon does not restore his law license, which the Illinois Supreme Court revoked in May 2020.

Return to Public Life

After leaving prison, Blagojevich turned to media work. From May 20, 2020, he hosted the podcast “The Lightning Rod” on Chicago radio station WLS-AM. He also appears as a commentator on American television. A documentary series about his life, “Being Blago,” was released on the Hulu platform on November 5, 2021.

He describes himself as a “Trumpocrat,” meaning a Democrat who supports Trump. He backed Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns and attended events around the 2024 Republican National Convention. According to the Washington Examiner in March 2026, he said Trump had told him he would support him if he ever ran for office again.

Relationship with Serbia

Blagojevich often refers to the Serbian origins of his father. During the 2024 election campaign, he rallied Serbian Americans in support of Trump. He had previously visited Serbia in May 1999, during the NATO bombing, and he was in Belgrade again in February 2025, when he met President Aleksandar Vučić.

In February 2025, Politico reported that Trump was considering him for U.S. ambassador to Serbia. Blagojevich denied it and said he had no such ambitions. In March 2025, Trump then nominated Mark Brnovich, a former Arizona attorney general of Serbian descent, as ambassador.

Personal Life

Rod Blagojevich married Patricia “Patti” Mell, the daughter of Chicago alderman Richard Mell, in 1990. They have two daughters, Amy and Annie. Annie was born a few months after her father took office as governor. The family lives in Chicago, in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood.

According to available sources, he belongs to the Serbian Orthodox Church. His wife was one of his most vocal advocates during his prison sentence. Other details of his private life are not publicly confirmed and are therefore not included.

Interesting Facts

• He is the only governor of Illinois to be impeached and removed from office.
• Three other Illinois governors (Otto Kerner Jr., Dan Walker and George Ryan) also served federal prison sentences.
• In his youth he boxed as an amateur and competed in Chicago’s Golden Gloves.
• He is an Elvis Presley fan and sang in the prison band “The Jailhouse Rockers.”
• In prison he taught Civil War history to fellow inmates.
• In June 2009, he appeared in the Chicago comedy show “Rod Blagojevich Superstar.”
• His life is chronicled in WBEZ’s podcast “Public Official A” and in the series “Being Blago.”

Awards and Recognition

The best-known recognition of his political career was the “Hero of Health Care” award, presented to him in April 2006 by America’s Agenda for the “All Kids” program. Other publicly confirmed honors are not listed because of a lack of reliable sources.

Legacy and Influence

The legacy of Rod Blagojevich is divided. On the one hand, his health care programs extended insurance to hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois, and this is still cited as the most important policy result of his terms. Critics, on the other hand, argued that some programs were financially unsustainable.

His case remains one of the best-known examples of a corruption prosecution in American politics. After the arrest, impeachment and two trials, he remained in the public eye as a symbol of political scandal in Illinois. His supporters argue that he was punished for ordinary political horse-trading, while prosecutors and courts argue the opposite. The case is therefore also cited in debates about the limits of political bargaining and the use of the pardon power.