Illinois House Impeaches Rod Blagojevich
Governor Accused of Corruption and Abuse of Power
Jan 10, 2009
After a two week investigation the Illinois House of Representatives Special Investigative Committee, chaired by State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, looking into allegations against Governor Blagojevich issued a 78 page report of its findings on January 8, 2009. The report details evidence considered by the committee in making the findings. The committee recommended the full House vote to impeach the Governor.
Illinois Grounds for Impeachment
The Illinois Constitution provides little direction as to what constitutes an impeachable offense. The Illinois House of Representatives has the sole power to determine the cause for impeachment. It is quite clear that the cause need not be criminal activity. The committee’s work, begun shortly after Blagojevich was arrested, resulted in a House resolution outlining 13 reasons to impeach Governor Blagojevich.
Corruption and Abuse of Power by Rod Blagojevich
The committee recommended that Blagojevich be impeached for the following actions:
- Attempting to personally benefit from his authority to fill the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.
- Attempting to arrange the firing of members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board in exchange for state aid to the Tribune Company relating to Wrigley Field.
- Conditioning his approval of diversion of casino gambling revenues to the horse racing industry in return for campaign contributions.
- Seeking $500,000 in campaign contributions from contractors in exchange for contracts relating to the expansion of the Illinois Tollway.
- Holding up $8,000,000 in state funding for special care pediatricians in Illinois while seeking a $50,000 campaign contribution from an executive at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
- The Governor appointing Ali Ata to a position with the Illinois Finance Authority in return for more than $75,000 in campaign contributions facilitated by convicted felon Tony Rezko.
- The alleged sale of state contracts in return for campaign contributions.
- Manipulating votes of the Illinois Hospital Facilities Planning Board in exchange for campaign contributions.
- Spending government funds that were not authorized by the General Assembly and ignoring Illinois law regarding the expansion of the FamilyCare program in violation of the Illinois Administrative Procedures Act.
- Illegally attempting to import flu vaccine for Illinois and other states when the importation was prohibited by federal law and trying to arrange payment to a company for services relating to flu vaccine that could not be delivered.
- Violating both state and federal law with a program to allow state employees and retirees to import drugs from foreign pharmacies that were unlicensed and not properly inspected.
- An elaborate money laundering scheme to transfer funds from alleged government efficiency savings to line items specifically under the Governor’s control.
- That the Governor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs illegally directed the Illinois Department of Employment Security to ignore state law and federal mandates in its hiring practices including the falsification of employment records.
Penalties Upon Conviction by the Illinois Senate
The entire Illinois House voted 114-1 to impeach Blagojevich based upon the committee report. The recommendations include that the governor be removed from office and banned from holding public office in the state of Illinois. There are no criminal penalties associated with impeachment, but the impeachment action does not preclude criminal prosecution.
The Illinois Senate is empowered to hear evidence of the allegations made by the House. If, after hearing the evidence 40 Illinois Senators vote for conviction on the charges, Blagojevich is removed from office and is succeeded by Lt. Governor Pat Quinn.
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