(The Center Square) – Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is no longer a convicted felon after President Donald Trump granted a full pardon.

Among a slew of executive orders Trump signed Monday evening in the oval office was a full pardon of the former Illinois governor.

“I watched him, he was set up by a lot of bad people, some of the same people that I had to deal with,” Trump said.

In Trump’s previous term in 2020, he commuted Blagojevich’s 14-year prison sentence that he started serving in 2012. Blagojevich told reporters outside his home Monday night that he knew the action was coming two weeks ago and said he and Trump have a kinship, alleging weaponized prosecutions.

“It creates a certain understanding between people who sort of understand that something isn’t right and something is wrong,” Blagojevich said. “Terrible thing they did to me, a Democrat governor. Even worse what they did to a Republican president, President Trump.”

Blaogjevich was removed from office in 2009 after being raided by the FBI months before. He was convicted of corruption in 2011 and began serving a 14-year prison sentence in 2012. The Democrat’s sentence was commuted by Trump in 2020 before Monday’s pardon.

Blagojevich maintains he didn’t do anything wrong and was just doing politics.

Trump has had his share of prosecutions, having been taken to court in a classified documents case, a book-keeping conviction in New York and also allegations he interfered with the 2020 election results. That is on top of Trump being impeached twice during his first term. He was acquitted by the U.S. Senate both times.

As Trump signed the pardon in the oval office Monday, he was asked if Blagojevich would be his ambassador to Serbia.

“Um, no, but I would,” Trump said. “He’s now cleaner than anyone in this room. He got a pardon. He’s cleaner than anyone in the room.”

Speaking with reporters outside his home Monday night, Blagojevich also wouldn't comment on the possible post. Though, he did discuss his recent travels there to meet with the Serbian president.

“My father came from Serbia and I was invited to go there and meet with [the Serbian president] and do some business,” Blagojevich said.

Blagojevich said his future includes releasing a book about his ordeal and working with Trump to “save our democracy.”