Rod Blagojevich

Rod Blagojevich has lived an interesting life, to say the least. He was the Governor of Illinois, the first Democrat elected to that office in 26 years, and the first Illinois Governor to be impeached. Later, he was known as Federal Prisoner number 40892–424 after being convicted on public corruption charges related to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama when he became President. But there’s so much more to his story…

Born to a blue-collar family in Chicago, Blagojevich shined shoes, delivered pizzas, and worked in a meat packing plant during his youth. He also worked for two summers on the Alaskan Pipeline. Thanks to the sacrifices of his parents and his continued hard work, he attended and graduated from Northwestern University and went on to earn a law degree from Pepperdine University. He was an Assistant State’s Attorney for Cook County, Illinois, a state representative, and in 1996 was elected to the U.S. Congress.

In 2002, he continued his personal version of the American Dream by defeating long odds to become the 40th Governor of the state of Illinois. While in office, he notably increased access to affordable healthcare for children, provided free mammograms and Pap Smears for tens of thousands of uninsured women, established free public transportation for every senior citizen and disabled person in the state, and opposed his own party’s attempts to raise taxes. However, his tenure took a dramatic turn in 2008 while attempting to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the election of President Obama. Blagojevich was charged with corruption, impeached, tried twice, and eventually convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He served 8 years of the sentence before it was commuted by President Donald Trump on February 18, 2020. He has always maintained his innocence despite the circumstances that have profoundly affected his family.

Now back in Chicago, he is building a media company named Blue Suede Shoes Productions, with a focused mission to restore common sense in discussions on pivotal societal issues. His company is actively developing a documentary series, the "Lightening Rod Today Podcast," and daily content for social media aimed at encouraging Americans to look beyond partisan talking points and focus on solutions that benefit everyone.

In addition to his media endeavors, Blagojevich has appeared in discussions about the failures of modern-day politics on various platforms including FOX 32 and with Tucker Carlson on Fox News. He advocates for teaching critical and scientific thinking to younger generations and emphasizes the importance of open dialogue and feedback in reaching truthful and effective ideas. His passion for Elvis Presley remains, proven by his time fronting an Elvis tribute band while in prison and a sneak peek of the docuseries "Being Blago" that aired on ABC7 Chicago, showcasing his enduring influence and unique trajectory.