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Impeachment Vote As Burris Prepares To Testify

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Adrienne
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« on: January 08, 2009, 03:07:51 pm »

Impeachment Vote As Burris Prepares To Testify

CHRISTOPHER WILLS | January 8, 2009 11:39 AM EST |





Illinois Rep. Roger L. Eddy, R-Hutsonville, right, studies supplied documents requested during testimony at a Illinois House Impeachment Committee hearing at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. By naming Roland Burris to the Senate, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has tied Washington in knots and diverted attention from his own problems. But he didn't make those problems go away. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois House committee investigating Gov. Rod Blagojevich released a draft report Thursday saying the panel believes the Democratic governor has abused his power and recommending the full chamber vote on impeachment.
"The citizens of this state must have confidence that their governor will faithfully serve the people and put their interests before his own," the report reads. "It is with profound regret that the committee finds that our current governor has not done so."
The panel could vote to accept the report when it resumes work Thursday afternoon, which would set up a full House vote on the impeachment question on Friday. If the House did vote to impeach, the case would head to the state Senate for a trial. No Illinois governor has ever been impeached.
The draft does not include a formal article of impeachment laying out the charges against Blagojevich. But it said there is cause to believe Blagojevich engaged in pay-to-play politics.
Blagojevich's office had no immediate comment. The governor has denied any wrongdoing.
Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges that include allegations he schemed to profit from his power to name President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the Senate.
While the impeachment panel has reviewed the prosecutors' complaint, it also has reviewed allegations the second-term governor has improperly expanded state programs, spent tax money without authorization and circumvented hiring laws for political purposes.
The panel's draft report was released as it prepared to hear afternoon testimony from Senate appointee Roland Burris on why he accepted a position offered by the disgraced governor and whether he promised Blagojevich anything in return for getting named to the Senate.
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"I would like to specifically ask, under oath, if there was any quid pro quo for the appointment," said Rep. Mike Bost, a Republican member of the committee.
In the panel's afternoon hearing, lawmakers also planned to ask Burris about contributions to the governor's campaign, how Blagojevich's wife got a job with a group affiliated with Burris' business partner and why it was the governor's criminal lawyer, instead of an aide, who approached Burris about the Senate.
Blagojevich appointed Burris to fill Obama's seat on Dec. 30, creating another furor three weeks after the governor was arrested.
Burris returned Wednesday from an encouraging two-day visit to Washington, D.C. Senate Democrats had initially declared that his appointment by Blagojevich was fatally tainted, but they were more friendly this week.
When Burris showed up at the Capitol to be sworn in Tuesday, he was turned away in the rain. But on Wednesday, he was invited in to meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and the No. 2 Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois.
Later, Reid and Durbin reported that they thought highly of Burris and they were merely waiting for procedural matters to be resolved before he could be seated.
Burris, 71, said he should be able to join the Senate "very shortly."
___
On the Net:
The Illinois House Special Investigative Committee's draft report can be found at:
http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/Reports.asp?CommitteeID758
___
Associated Press writers Ann Sanner, Laurie Kellman and Ben Evans contributed to this report.
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Adrienne
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« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2009, 03:16:34 pm »

Draft report: Panel leaning toward impeaching Blagojevich
Story Highlights
"Totality of evidence warrants impeachment," panel says in draft report
Impeachment committee may vote on draft report Thursday afternoon
Illinois governor arrested in December, may face federal corruption charges
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        CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- An investigative committee of the Illinois General Assembly has recommended that the House of Representatives impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich.





Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich may face federal corruption charges.
 The impeachment committee says in a draft report that "the totality of the evidence warrants the impeachment of the governor for cause."
The draft report was posted on the committee's Web site.
The impeachment committee has not formally voted to approve the draft report or to send its recommendation to the full House. A vote on the report may occur Thursday afternoon.
If the committee votes to recommend impeachment, the full House will vote on whether to impeach the governor.
The committee is also scheduled to hear testimony Thursday afternoon from Roland Burris, the man Blagojevich appointed to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate.
Burris, former attorney general for Illinois, is not accused of engaging in "pay-to-play" politics with Blagojevich.
In a written affidavit given to the impeachment panel, Burris said he had one limited conversation with the governor about the Senate seat before he was appointed. And that conversation, he said, was initiated by a Blagojevich attorney.
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FBI agents arrested Blagojevich on December 9 after federal prosecutors alleged, among other things, that he had tried to sell Obama's Senate seat.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald initiated a criminal complaint against Blagojevich after listening to wiretaps of the governor's phone conversations.
Federal investigators say they recorded the Illinois governor engaging in "pay-to-play" politics on the calls by demanding campaign contributions and other benefits in exchange for passage of legislation.
Fitzgerald is weighing whether federal charges were warranted against Blagojevich. A federal judge in Chicago told Fitzgerald that he has until April 7 to decide whether to charge the Illinois governor.
Blagojevich denies wrongdoing and has ignored calls to resign
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"In a monarchy, the king is law, in a democracy, the law is king."
-Thomas Paine
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