By Reid Wilson - Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) was impeached Friday by an overwhelming margin in the state House, setting up the first instance in that state’s history of a governor facing trial by the state Senate.
The 114-1 vote came after Blagojevich was arrested for corruption charges, including allegations he tried to sell President-elect Obama's Senate seat. The leading Illinois Democrat on the impeachment panel said Blagojevich demonstrated a betrayal of his oath of office. Blagojevich "is not fit to govern the state of Illinois," state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Currie headed the impeachment panel that unanimously recommended booting the governor from office in a report issued Thursday.
Blagojevich's fate now rests with the 59 state senators who will sit as jurors. Two-thirds, or 40 senators, are needed to convict Blagojevich and remove him from office. The chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court will preside over the trial.
Though representatives said they hoped the impeachment would encourage Blagojevich to resign and avoid what is expected to be a three-week trial, a spokesman for the governor told the Tribune he would not step down.
Blagojevich is set to address the media at 3 p.m. Eastern Time at his office in Chicago.
If Blagojevich is convicted, an outcome that seems likely, he would be replaced by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D). The lone vote against impeachment came from Rep. Milt Patterson, a Chicago legislator who said he did not feel it was his duty to impeach the governor.
It is unclear what effect the impeachment will have on Roland Burris, whom Blagojevich appointed to Obama's Senate seat.
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Showing posts with label Rod Blagojevich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rod Blagojevich. Show all posts
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Obama Blagojevich Report: Team Claims Exoneration
Barack Obama's chief counsel declared on Tuesday afternoon that only one member of the President-elect's staff -- incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel -- had any communications with embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his staff since Obama's election.
Emanuel's interactions, moreover, were not in any way improper, Obama's aides stressed, and the transition team was fully compliant both with the law and the U.S. Attorney's investigation into Blagojevich's alleged pay-for-play scheme.
"No one in the Obama circle was aware of what was going on in the governor's office until he was arrested," said Greg Craig, Obama's counsel. "They found out what the Governor was doing the same time the American public found out about it."
While Craig and spokesman Robert Gibbs debriefed reporters, the Obama transition team put out a five-page report detailing the extent of contacts between the Illinois governor, the President-elect, and their respective staffs.
Read the full text of the Obama report
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Emanuel's interactions, moreover, were not in any way improper, Obama's aides stressed, and the transition team was fully compliant both with the law and the U.S. Attorney's investigation into Blagojevich's alleged pay-for-play scheme.
"No one in the Obama circle was aware of what was going on in the governor's office until he was arrested," said Greg Craig, Obama's counsel. "They found out what the Governor was doing the same time the American public found out about it."
While Craig and spokesman Robert Gibbs debriefed reporters, the Obama transition team put out a five-page report detailing the extent of contacts between the Illinois governor, the President-elect, and their respective staffs.
Read the full text of the Obama report
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Impeachment panel begins, Blagojevich speaks
CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Wednesday he is ready to tell his side of the scandal to the people of Illinois and that he would do so no later than Thursday.
"I can't wait to begin to tell my side of the story and to address you guys and, most importantly, the people of Illinois. That's who I'm dying to talk to," he said as he left his home Wednesday morning for a jog.
"There's a time and place for everything. That day will soon be here and you might know more about that today, maybe no later than tomorrow.
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"I can't wait to begin to tell my side of the story and to address you guys and, most importantly, the people of Illinois. That's who I'm dying to talk to," he said as he left his home Wednesday morning for a jog.
"There's a time and place for everything. That day will soon be here and you might know more about that today, maybe no later than tomorrow.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
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What Blagojevich was doing right before he was indicted
Coincidence?
December 8 - Governor Rod Blagojevich announces the State of Illinois will cease doing business with Bank of America.
December 9 - Governor Rod Blagojevich, who has been reportedly under investigations by the federal government for three years is indicted based on a recent wire tap.
If he is as dirty as he is being portrayed, why did it take three years to find something on him?
Also...
When is the last time you saw a governor take a high profile stand for a small business and working people against a multinational bank?
The FBI sure shut that down quick.
What convenient timing they have.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Illinois AG asks state high court to strip Blago of powers
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an unprecedented move, the Illinois attorney general asked the state's highest court Friday to strip scandal-plagued Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his powers. Lisa Madigan took the action as pressure on the governor intensified to step down and lawmakers considered impeachment. And the fallout over the scandal continued Friday as the governor's chief of staff resigned; John Harris was arrested along with the governor on Tuesday.
"I recognize that this is an extraordinary request, but these are extraordinary circumstances," Madigan said at a news conference in Chicago.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Illinois governor ignores Obama's call to resign
CHICAGO – His career in shreds, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich clung defiantly to power Wednesday, ignoring a call to step down from President-elect Barack Obama and a warning that Senate Democrats will not let him appoint a new senator from the state.
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Senate Dems 'insist' Blagojevich resign
From NBC’s Ken Strickland
In a letter being circulated for signatures among Senate Democrats, the members "insist" that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich resign from his post, "and under no circumstance make an appointment to fill the vacant Illinois Senate seat."
In light of his arrest, the letter, written by Democratic leaders, states: "Any appointment by you would raise serious questions."
While citing the Illinois legislature's authority to strip the governor of his appointment power by having a special election, the leadership feels his resignation would be the fastest way for a new senator to be chosen.
If Blagojevich refused to resign and appoints a new senator, the letter makes it explicitly clear that the Senate will have the final word on any appointment:
"Please understand that should you decide to ignore the request of the Senate Democratic Caucus and make an appointment, we would be forced to exercise our Constitutional authority under Article I, Section 5, to determine whether such a person should be seated."
At the end of the letter if reads, "We do not prejudge the outcome of the criminal charges against you... But for the good of the Senate and our nation, we implore you refrain from making an appointment to the Senate."
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Attorney: U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson is 'Candidate 5'
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. says he is not a target of the investigation that led to this week's arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
A lawyer for Jackson acknowledged Wednesday that the Illinois Democrat is the so-called Senate Candidate 5 in the federal complaint against Blagojevich.
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A lawyer for Jackson acknowledged Wednesday that the Illinois Democrat is the so-called Senate Candidate 5 in the federal complaint against Blagojevich.
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Obama calls for the Illinois gov. to Resign
CHICAGO - President-elect Barack Obama is calling for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday.
Gibbs said Obama agrees with other prominent politicians that "under the current circumstances, it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois."
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Gibbs said Obama agrees with other prominent politicians that "under the current circumstances, it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois."
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Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Obama Had "No Contact" With Governor Blagojevich
In a press conference held just before 2:30 PM Chicago time, Barack Obama only answered one question about the arrest of Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich.With Al Gore at his side, the President-Elect, said that he had absolutely "no contact" with the Governor. Obama did not make any comments about whether or not he had contacted the Feds...
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Ill. gov. charged with Cubs sale-related crimes as well.
The governor of Illinois, accused Tuesday of trying to sell the appointment of President-elect Barack Obama's seat in the U.S. Senate, is also charged with crimes resulting from his role in the sale of the Cubs and Wrigley Field.
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Appt. process thrown into disarray by Gov.’s arrest
Illinois political insiders say Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) almost certainly will not resign in the midst of his arrest by federal authorities, which would clear the way for him to continue evaluating potential appointees to replace President-elect Obama in the Senate.
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Obama and IL Gov. Blagojevich Clashed over Demand for Bribe
Obama and Blagojevich clashed over whether to appoint senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to replace him in the Senate. Obama’s advisers declined to give in to Blagojevich’s demands, prompting angry outbursts from the governor. In a conversation intercepted by federal agents, Blagojevich calls Obama a “motherf--ker” and says of Obama: “f—k him.”
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Durbin calls for election to replace Obama
by Richard Simon - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) today called for the Illinois General Assemby to quickly pass legislation for a special election to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, saying that any replacement appointed by Blagojevich would be tainted.
"This is a sad day for my state," Durbin said. "No appointment by this governor under these circumstances could produce a credible replacement." Durbin said if the charges are proven, the governor has "clearly abused the public trust."
Durbin said he spoke to a state senator and urged him to work with Republicans to pass the legislation by a big enough margin that it could overcome a veto by the governor.
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"This is a sad day for my state," Durbin said. "No appointment by this governor under these circumstances could produce a credible replacement." Durbin said if the charges are proven, the governor has "clearly abused the public trust."
Durbin said he spoke to a state senator and urged him to work with Republicans to pass the legislation by a big enough margin that it could overcome a veto by the governor.
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Rahm Emanuel may have ‘tipped’ off feds about Blagojevich
Marcy Wheeler catches local Chicago press reporting that Rahm Emanuel may have tipped off federal investigators that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) was engaging in corrupt acts. Jack Conaty, a Chicago reporter for the local Fox affiliate, said on-air that Rahm Emanuel might have been responsible for causing federal investigators to act quickly to apprehend Blagojevich this morning:
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CONATY: We did receive a tip this morning that perhaps all of this came together so quickly because the Governor may have reached out to Rahm Emanuel, the president-elect’s chief of staff, in attempting to leverage filling the Senate seat. And it may have been Rahm Emanuel who tipped the scale and made this move as quickly as it did.
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Impeachment hearings likely against Blagojevich
Several Democratic operatives from Illinois say the Illinois state legislature will likely move as quickly as possible to hold impeachment proceedings against Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), in attempts to prevent the jailed governor from appointing President-elect Barack Obama’s successor in the Senate.
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Feds: Ill. gov tried to 'auction' Obama's seat
CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich embarked on "political corruption crime spree" and tried to benefit from his ability to appoint President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate, federal officials said Tuesday.
At a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called it a sad day for the citizens of Illinois and alleged that the governor tried to "auction off" the Senate seat "to the highest bidder".
He said the alleged behavior "would make (Abe) Lincoln roll over in his grave".
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At a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald called it a sad day for the citizens of Illinois and alleged that the governor tried to "auction off" the Senate seat "to the highest bidder".
He said the alleged behavior "would make (Abe) Lincoln roll over in his grave".
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