Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption.
He was found guilty in June of 17 charges of graft, including trying to sell the US Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama.
In Chicago on Wednesday, Blagojevich, 54, said he was "unbelievably sorry" and had made "terrible mistakes".
Prosecutors had requested a maximum sentence of 20 years, saying he knew he was breaking the law.
The former two-term Democratic governor was also ordered to pay a fine of $US20,000. He is to report to prison on 16 February 2012.
Correspondents say it is likely that Blagojevich will serve his sentence in a prison outside Illinois.
The BBC reports Blagojevich was arrested in December 2008 while still in office. His Republican predecessor as governor was also jailed for corruption.
He was elected governor of Illinois in 2002 and served until 2009, when the state legislature threw him out of office following his arrest.
As governor, he was tasked under law with appointing someone to fill the Senate seat left vacant when Mr Obama won election to the White House.
In FBI wire taps, Blagojevich was heard describing the Senate appointment as a "golden" opportunity.
After the jury was unable to reach a verdict in the first trial, he was found guilty second time round.
