Chicago:
Rod Blagojevich, the ousted Illinois governor whose three-year battle against criminal charges became a national spectacle, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Wednesday.
A stiff penalty for the man convicted of trying to sell President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat to raise campaign cash or land a high-paying job.
Judge James Zagel gave Blagojevich some credit for taking responsibility for his actions - which the former governor did in an address to the court earlier in the day - but said that didn't mitigate his crimes.
Zagel also said Blagojevich did some good things for people as governor, but was more concerned about using his powers for himself.
As the judge announced the sentence, which includes a 20-thousand US dollar fine, Blagojevich hunched forward and his face appeared frozen.
Minutes later, his wife, Patti Blagojevich, stood up and fell into her husband's arms. He pulled back to brush tears off her cheek and then rubbed her shoulders.
Andy Shaw, Illinois Better Government Association, said the sentence sent a message to public officials that they would be held accountable for their actions.
"I believe that a lot of public officials are going to think two times, three times or maybe 10 times before they engage in behaviour that could be construed as illegal," he added.
On his way out of the courthouse, Blagojevich said it was a time to be strong for his wife and his two children.
Blagojevich said he and his wife were heading home to speak to their daughters, and then left without answering any questions.
The twice-elected Democrat received by far the harshest sentence among the four Illinois governors sent to prison in the last four decades.
He is the second in a row to go to prison; his Republican predecessor, George Ryan, currently is serving six and half years.
The other two got three years or less.
Blagojevich, in a last plea for mercy, tried something he never had before: an apology.
After years of insisting he was innocent, he told the judge he'd made "terrible mistakes" and acknowledged that he broke the law.
But Zagel gave him little leeway, telling him that he gave him credit for taking responsibility but that his apology didn't mitigate his crimes.
Blagojevich's attorneys had said the sentence of 15 to 20 years prosecutors wanted was too harsh.
The defence also presented heartfelt appeals from Blagojevich's family, including letters from his wife Patti and one of his two daughters that pleaded for mercy.
But the judge made it clear early in the hearing that he believed that Blagojevich had lied on the witness stand when he tried to explain his scheming for the Senate seat, and he did not believe defence suggestions that the former governor was duped by his advisers.
The 54-year-old was not taken immediately into custody.
In white-collar cases, convicted felons are usually given at least a few weeks to report to prison while federal authorities select a suitable facility.
Blagojevich is expected to appeal his conviction, but it is unlikely to affect when he reports to prison.
According to federal rules, felons must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence a judge imposes - meaning Blagojevich wouldn't be eligible for early release until he serves nearly 12 years.