A federal judge has upheld former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's 14-year prison sentence on corruption charges.
The Democrat appeared via a video link Tuesday from his Colorado prison for a resentencing hearing in Chicago. It was the 59-year-old's first public appearance since he entered prison in 2012.
Blagojevich told Judge James Zagel that four years locked up and away from his family has made him a changed man.
No longer filled with anger, instead wanting to do good by helping inmates.
Standing next to her sobbing daughters, Patti Blagojevich, the governor’s wife, was stunned:
"We find his sentence usually cruel and heartless and unfair," she said.
Blagojevich’s attorney suggested they may appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Blagojevich was originally sentenced in 2011, following his conviction for trying to exchange an appointment to President Barack Obama's old U.S. Senate seat for campaign cash.
- The Associated Press and Michael Puente contributed to this report.
