http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Patricia_BlagojevichPatricia Blagojevich - Revision history2026-06-02T15:03:14ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.1http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Patricia_Blagojevich&diff=7675457&oldid=prev2600:1700:6730:DD50:2D08:DE2B:D986:38C5 at 15:59, 16 December 20242024-12-16T15:59:43Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|First Lady of Illinois from 2003 to 2009}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| name = Patti Blagojevich <br />
| birthname = Patricia Mell<br />
| nickname = <br />
| image = Alan Colmes with Rod and Patti Blagojevich (cropped).jpg<br />
|caption = Blagojevich in 2009<br />
| order1 = [[Illinois|First Lady of Illinois]]<br />
| governor1 = [[Rod Blagojevich]]<br />
| term_label1 = In role<br />
| term_start1 = January 13, 2003<br />
| term_end1 = January 29, 2009<br />
| predecessor1 = [[Lura Lynn Ryan]]<br />
| successor1 = [[Diana Rauner]] (2019)<br />
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]<br />
| alma_mater = <br />
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|4|9}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.<br />
| death_date = <br />
| death_place = <br />
| religion = <br />
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Rod Blagojevich]]|1990}}<br />
| children = 2<br />
| residence = <br />
| relatives = [[Deb Mell]] (sister)<br />
| parents = [[Richard Mell]] (father)<br />
| signature = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Patricia Mell''' "'''Patti'''" '''Blagojevich''' (born April 9, 1965), née '''Mell''', is the former First Lady of Illinois and wife of [[Rod Blagojevich]], the former [[Governor of Illinois]], who was impeached and removed from office. She served as [[First Lady]] of [[Illinois]] from January 2003 to January 2009. She is the daughter of former [[Chicago City Council]] Alderman [[Richard Mell]] and the sister of former Alderman [[Deb Mell]].<br />
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== Personal life ==<br />
Blagojevich was born Patricia Mell, the daughter of former Chicago [[alderman]] [[Richard Mell]]. She earned her [[bachelor's degree]] in [[economics]] from the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]].<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news |first=Susan|last=Saulney|title=A Blagojevich Tries Reality TV|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/us/06blago.html|work=[[New York Times]]|date=2009-06-05|accessdate=2010-03-22}}</ref><ref name=nga>{{cite news |title=Governor Spouse's Information, Illinois, Patricia Blagojevich |url=http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.1b395dd52847da4f9d28aca9501010a0/?vgnextoid=40b3340a8db81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD<br />
|work=[[National Governors Association]]|accessdate=2009-01-03 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070627122618/http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.1b395dd52847da4f9d28aca9501010a0/?vgnextoid=40b3340a8db81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD |archive-date = 2007-06-27}}</ref> Her sister [[Deb Mell]] served in the Illinois State House of Representatives from 2009 to 2013, and on the Chicago City Council from 2013 to 2019. She is friends with ex-professional basketball player [[John Salley]].<br />
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== First Lady ==<br />
As First Lady of Illinois, Blagojevich supported the illiteracy eradication initiatives and the Illinois Pediatric Vision Initiative.<br />
<br />
In 2009 she was fired from a $100,000-a-year fundraising job after controversy regarding alleged taped statements.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20120812082134/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-01-22/news/0901211076_1_chicago-tribune-editorial-writers-robert-blagojevich-rod-blagojevich Patricia Blagojevich fired from fundraising job]." ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Thursday January 22, 2009. Retrieved on January 22, 2009.</ref> Blagojevich was also subpoenaed in February 2009 for documents related to her husband's [[political campaign]] and her work as a real estate agent.<ref name=nytimes/><br />
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== ''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me out of Here!'' ==<br />
<br />
In 2009, after her husband was removed as [[Governor of Illinois]], Blagojevich appeared as a contestant on [[NBC]] reality show, ''[[I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! (U.S. season 2)|I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here]]''.<ref name=nytimes/> She placed fourth on the show.<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{s-start}}<br />
{{s-hon}}<br />
{{s-bef | before=[[Lura Lynn Ryan]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl | title=First Lady of Illinois | years=2003–2009}}<br />
{{s-aft | after=[[Diana Rauner]]}}<br />
{{end}}<br />
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{{Rod Blagojevich}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blagojevich, Patricia}}<br />
[[Category:1965 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:First ladies and gentlemen of Illinois]]<br />
[[Category:Illinois Democrats]]<br />
[[Category:People from Chicago]]<br />
[[Category:American real estate brokers]]<br />
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]<br />
[[Category:Rod Blagojevich]]<br />
[[Category:University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni]]</div>2600:1700:6730:DD50:2D08:DE2B:D986:38C5