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On Monday, on the 10th day of deliberations, a federal jury hammered ex-Gov. Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich in his retrial, finding him guilty on 17 of 20 counts, according to CNN.
The jury found him not guilty on one count of bribery and deadlocked on two counts of attempted extortion.
A jury previously convicted him on 1 of 24 counts — a count that will be added to his tally when he’s sentenced.
Blagojevich was charged with selling his office for financial benefit, including trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President Obama.
The overwhelming verdict was clearly a victory for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, whose office was embarrassed by the first verdict.
Two differences in the second trial: Blagojevich didn’t testify in the first trial, but did in the second. Plus, the U.S. Attorney’s Office simplified the charges in the second trial after jurors in the first case said they found some of the counts confusing.
Blagojevich told a throng of reporters: “I’m stunned.”
