Impeachment Launched Against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

Impeachment against Illinois Governor Blagojevich launched

 2008-12-16 23:45:44  

·Lawmakers voted to authorize a committee to investigate allegations against Blagojevich. ·The House panel has the power to issue subpoenas and compel witnesses to testify. ·Blagojevich showed no signs of giving up his post.

    CHICAGO, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) --

The Illioins house launched Tuesday the impeachment against Governor Rod Blagojevich who was arrested last week over a political scandal of selling the senator seat vacated by President-elect Barak Obama, local media reported.

    Illinois lawmakers voted 113-0 to authorize a committee to investigate a host of pay-to-play allegations leveled against the governor, who was arrested last Wednesday in Chicago. Asked about the criminal complaint against the governor, House Speaker Michael Madigan said: "I've had an opportunity to know Mr. Blagojevich for over six years so I was not surprised."

    The House panel is expected to hold several weeks of hearings, scheduled to begin Tuesday, and has the power to issue subpoenas and compel witnesses to testify. The panel also will seek information from the U.S. attorney's office as well as information gained from other parts of the federal investigation, such as information arising from the conviction of top Blagojevich adviser and fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko.

    "This is not a kangaroo court," said Barbara Flynn Currie, who will chair the investigations panel. "It's absolutely critical that we do this deliberately, that we don't rush to judgment, that we don't say, because the public is clamoring for his head, we should take the head first and do the trial later."

    Blagojevich showed no signs of giving up his post. On Monday, he signed a dozen bills into law, including one involving the horse-racing and casino industries that federal prosecutors allege Blagojevich was using to squeeze campaign contributions in exchange for his signature.

    Some Democratic House members said they believed the attorney general's plan to have the state's highest court declare Blagojevich incapable of carrying out his duties a long shot, and lawmakers were restless to move forward with impeachment.

    In one indication of how long the impeachment investigation may take, Madigan said rules would be written to allow the panel's work to continue through the inauguration of the next General Assembly in mid-January.

Illinois House takes first step to impeach governor

2008-12-16 05:16:44  

·Illinois House of Representative took the first step to impeach Governor Blagojevich. ·A committee was established to recommend whether the governor should be removed. ·"The impeachment talk is nothing new for this governor," said governor's spokesman.

    CHICAGO, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Illinois House of Representative took the first step on Monday to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was charged with corruption.

    "We're going to proceed with all due speed, but we're going to make sure that what we do is done correctly," said House Speaker Michael Madigan.

    Madigan made the remarks as he established a committee to recommend whether the governor should be removed from office for his involvement in corruption cases, and to allow the full floor to decide whether to file impeachment charges against him based on the recommendation.

    However, the state Senate would rule on the impeachment charges at last.

    Blagojevich, who is currently in his second term, was arrested last week by Federal Bureau of Investigation operatives on federal fraud and bribery charges, including an alleged attempt to profit by naming a replacement for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

    He was released on bail and returned to his work despite pressure by state lawmakers and Obama's calls for his resignation. He also refused to make any comment to media on his charges.

    "The impeachment talk is nothing new for this governor," said governor's spokesman Lucio Guerrero in response to the House action on Monday. "They've been talking about it for a long time."

    It was also confirmed by Madigan that the House of Representatives, indeed, started to review the legal possibilities one year ago to impeach the governor who has been investigated for corruption charges for years.

    According to the state Constitution, lawmakers can impeach a governor for any reason deemed sufficient.

Illinois governor arrested on corruption charges

2008-12-10 00:48:12

    CHICAGO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) --

U.S. Federal prosecutors on Tuesday arrested Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff John Harris on corruption charges.

    At a press conference in Chicago, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald accused Blagojevich of attempting "to sell the U.S. Senate seat" that President-elect Barack Obama vacated.

    Fitzgerald talked about recordings in which Blagojevich allegedly talked in frank language about how he would try to leverage the best value out of Obama's Senate seat.

    Earlier media reports said that the governor was also charged with obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for other official actions.

    Blagojevich and Harris were arrested simultaneously at their homes at about 6:15 a.m., according to the FBI. They were transported to FBI headquarters in Chicago, where they remained at 9 a.m.

    Robert Grant, FBI special agent in charge of the Chicago office, said the arrest of Blagojevich should serve as a notice that "business as usual will no longer be tolerated," and that "selling your office for personal gain is a thing of the past."

    Fitzgerald said that the Illinois governor "has taken us to a truly new low," and the Tuesday arrest put a stop to "a political corruption crime spree."

Editor: Sun