Illinois Republican congressmen are speaking out against commuting former Gov. Rod Blagojevich s 14-year prison sentence, telling President Donald Trump that such clemency would be detrimental to thwarting public corruption.

In a letter sent to the White House on Monday, the seven lawmakers urged Trump not to free Blagojevich, 61, who formally asked the president to commute his sentence last week. The ex-governor, a Democrat, has been in prison since 2012.

The letter was signed by all seven of Illinois GOP congressmen: Reps. Darin LaHood, John Shimkus, Peter Roskam, Randy Hultgren, Adam Kinzinger, Rodney Davis and Mike Bost.

While we understand that as President, you have the right under our Constitution to consider and grant pardons and clemency as you determine fit, we ask that you consider very carefully the precedent this may set, in the future, and the impact it will have on acts of public corruption, the letter says.

Trump told reporters last month that Blagojevich, who was a contestant on his reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice in 2010, was harshly punished for making what the president dismissed as a foolish statement.