Blagojevich's daughter blasts Obama for not commuting sentence

CHICAGO (AP) - A daughter of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is criticizing former President Barack Obama for not granting early release to her father, who's serving prison time for corruption.

In an emotional letter, 20-year-old Amy Blagojevich called Obama "spineless" for not commuting her father's sentence. Blagojevich's wife, Patti, posted the letter on her Facebook page.

Blagojevich is in the fourth year of a 14-year sentence on corruption convictions, including for trying to sell Obama's U.S. Senate seat after he became president.

The ex-governor petitioned Obama for a commutation, and both Amy and her sister wrote letters asking Obama to act.

Amy Blagojevich noted in the letter the emotional toll on her family over the past eight years. She lamented that Obama did and said nothing of Blagojevich's ordeal during that time.

"Everyone seems to be mourning your exit from office," Amy wrote. "I'm glad you're gone. I'm not delusional — you're not a saint. You were a mediocre president with unoriginal ideas."

"I thought you would finally right this wrong," she wrote to Obama. "You didn't have to pardon him, only commute the sentence. You just had to let him come home. You didn't. You released others, like Chelsea Manning or FALN terrorists, who actually committed reprehensible crimes, but you failed to release an innocent man."

Amy acknowledged, "I am shocked at how bitter and full of hate I have become," before concluding, "I truly thought you were a good person. I guess I was just as brainwashed as everyone else. At least now I can see the blood on your hands."