CHICAGO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Illinois House in a
historic vote has impeached embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich who is accused of
selling a U.S. senator seat vacated by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich waves
after speaking at a news conference in Chicago, Illinois January 9, 2009.
The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Blagojevich on Friday for
abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect
Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
The
vote by the House was 114-1 and marks the first time in the state's 190-year
history that a governor has been impeached.
However, a spokesman for the governor said he won't
resign.
The actions of the House -- approving an article of
impeachment maintaining Blagojevich had committed abuses of power -- represents
the equivalent of an indictment.
Next week, when the Illinois Senate convenes, it will
begin the process of setting up a trial of the governor in which each of the 59
state senators act as judge and jurors.
A total of 40 senators are needed to convict
Blagojevich, which would remove the governor from office and make Lt. Gov. Pat
Quinn the state's new chief executive. A trial is expected to take at least
three weeks.
Illinois House members had expressed hopes that the
impeachment would encourage Blagojevich to resign from office to avoid the
Senate trial. But Blagojevich has resisted calls for his resignation.
On Thursday, after the House investigation's panel
recommended Blagojevich's impeachment, the governor said he looked forward to a
trial in the Senate, presided over by the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme
Court, and "believes the outcome will be much different" from the House
action.
CHICAGO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Impeached Illinois Governor
Rod Blagojevich vowed on Friday to fight every step of the way.
At a news conference held in downtown Chicago hours after
he was impeached by the Illinois House, Blagojevich said he is confident that at
the end, he will be properly exonerated. Full story
Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois. He
address questions about charges brought against him of conspiracy and
bribery, including allegations he was seeking to benefit financially from
his appointment of a successor to the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by
President-elect Barack Obama during a news conference in Chicago, December
19, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
CHICAGO,
Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who faced federal
corruption charges, said here on Friday that he was not guilty of any criminal
wrongdoing and intends to stay on the job.
At a press conference held in downtown Chicago on Friday
afternoon, the governor, in his first public appearance since his Dec. 9 arrest,
said: "I will fight until I take my last breath." Full story
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Illinois Supreme Court
refused on Wednesday to hear a case against the state governor, Rod Blagojevich,
who was charged with corruption.
The court spokesman announced the decision not to hear a
challenge to Governor Blagojevich's fitness to hold office without giving
further reasons. Full story
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Illinois state
lawmakers are seeking to impeach governor Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested on
Tuesday on corruption charges, CNN reported on Friday.
John Fritchey and three other Democratic members of
the Illinois state House of Representatives co-sent a letter to fellow lawmakers
late Thursday to make the case for the impeachment, according to the report. Full story
