Impeached and jailed ex-US governor thanks Joe Rogan for "free speech" opportunity after defending himself on JRE: "No one said I even took a penny"

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and convicted on federal corruption charges, recently defended himself during an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast. Blagojevich also took to X to share a clip from the episode and hailed Rogan for hosting a platform that promotes free speech.

While talking about his arrest, Blagojevich asserted that no evidence linked him to personal corruption, bribery, or monetary gain and that his conviction stemmed from fundraising requests without a proven quid pro quo. Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2011 after being accused of attempting to "sell" Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat and engaging in corrupt practices.

While some charges were overturned on appeal, key convictions were upheld. Critics argued his actions reflected misuse of power, while Blagojevich continued to maintain his innocence. During a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Blagojevich drew parallels between his case and broader allegations of political targeting in federal investigations.

He accused prosecutors of weaponizing the Department of Justice and FBI against individuals who challenge powerful institutions.

"They got away with it with me and they got emboldened then to say we can do it to a Democratic governor in the fifth largest state in America... We can get away with it... Non-f*cking crimes that we make up sh*t, and call him certain things that are sexy sounding that eventually was reversed by the appeal court they can uphold that unlawful standard."

Blagojevich added:

"Three fundraising requests where there was no quit pro quo. I got convicted of that? None of it was personal corruption, no one said I even took a penny and they gave me 14 years because I was fighting against them."

Check out the full episode below (24:42):

Blagojevich took to X to laud Rogan for "creating a space" that promotes free speech. He wrote:

"Joe Rogan is awesome! Thanks for creating a space that allows Americans to express their right to free speech."

Check out Rod Blagojevich's X post below: