RAINBOW: PUSH

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930 East 50th Street

Chicago, IL 60615

(773) 373?3366 (Freedom) Office
(773) 373-3571 Fax

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NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
930 East 50th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60615
Phone: (773) 373-3366 Fax: (773) 373?3571

Iuly 12, 2019

The Honorable Donald]. Trump
President of the United States
The White House

1600 Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We wish to express to you our support for the immediate release and full pardon of
former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. To date, Mr. Blagojevich has served 7 years and
3 months. In 2011, he was sentenced to 14 years.

We also understand the power to grant such requests is one of the most profound
authorities given to the President of the United States. It allows you as the President to
offer people a second chance and to correct injustices within our judicial system. And in
this particular case, we agree with your assessment that Mr. Blagojevich?s sentence of 14-
years was both unfair and unnecessary.

While Governor of Illinois, no one can argue with the many successes of the Blagojevich
administration. Under his leadership, every child had healthcare; every uninsured woman
had access to free breast and cervical cancer screenings and cancer treatment if they
couldn?t afford it; every senior citizen and disabled person had free public transportation;
and every 3 and 4?year old had the opportunity to go to preschool. And under his
program to reduce recidivism and improve public safety, inmates had better access to
education, job training, substance abuse treatment and counseling services, which led to
the lowest conviction rate among parolees in Illinois history.

Rod Blagojevich was a Governor that cared for the people in the State of He
ensured the good neighbor policy extended to all. We Stand with his family as they seek a
full pardon for a father and husband that has served most of a sentence that was far
longer than the offense deserved.

In closing, we?d also like to take this opportunity and applaud your efforts and that of the
United States Congress to reform our broken criminal justice system. The discussion is
long overdue and such measures will go a long way and bring tremendous relief to many
people in the African American community, indeed all communities, who are imprisoned

especially for their families who suffer at home.

Jesse jackson, 
Former Member of Congress

Sincerely,

 

Rainbow PUSH Coalition

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Founder President
Martin L. King, Chairman


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