Rod Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years in prison

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Wednesday, CNN reported. He was convicted of corruption.  

Blagojevich had been accused of trying to make a profit while considering whom to appoint to succeed President Obama when he vacated his Senate seat to move to the White House. He was hoping to land a high-paying job, or some campaign cash.  

According to MSNBC, Blagojevich let his lawyers admit that he was in fact guilty of public corruption.  Blagojevich had previously avoided that admission.   

Blagojevich, a former Democrat, has been sentenced to one of the stiffest penalties for corruption in a state with a long history of crooked politics, the Associated Press reported.  

Blagojevich was convicted of corruption in June after a jury returned 17 guilty verdicts against him. 

Blagojevich apologized to his state, his family and the judge during his sentencing hearing. He said he is "unbelievably sorry" for trying to sell a Senate seat.  

More from GlobalPost: Rod Blagojevich no pawn, judge says at Chicago sentencing hearing

Blagojevich is the second former Illinois governor in a row to be sentenced to prison, and the fourth Illinois governor in the last four decades.

George Ryan, Blagojevich's Republican predecessor, is currently serving a sentence of 6 1/2 years, also for corruption.