RSS
Home | Office Holder | Rod Blagojevich
|
|
|
Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges on December 9, 2008. The charges involved conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. The Justice Department complaint alleges that the governor conspired to commit several "pay to play" schemes, including attempting "to obtain personal gain ... through the corrupt use" of his authority to fill Barack Obama's vacated United States Senate seat. In a press briefing on the investigation, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald characterized the scheme as auctioning the seat off to "the highest bidder". The federal trial date has been set for 3 June 2010. Ultimately, he appointed fellow Democrat and former state attorney general Roland Burris on New Year's Eve 2008. Burris was seated after some initial opposition in mid-January 2009. On January 8, 2009, the Illinois House of Representatives voted to impeach Blagojevich by a 114 � 1 vote for corruption and misconduct in office, the first time such an action has been taken against a governor of Illinois, making him the second state official in Illinois history to be impeached. On January 27, 2009, Blagojevich began a media campaign planned by power publicist Glenn Selig, founder of the crisis management public relations firm The Publicity Agency. During the two day campaign, he visited Today, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The View, multiple programs on Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC where he proclaimed his innocence and insisted he would be vindicated. Blagojevich was subsequently convicted and removed from office on January 29, 2009, by a unanimous 59 � 0 vote in the Illinois State Senate. In a separate vote, the Senate voted unanimously to bar Blagojevich permanently from having public office again in the state of Illinois. Lieutenant Governor Patrick "Pat" Quinn was sworn in subsequently as the new governor. Blagojevich, often referred to by the nickname "Blago" in print and other media, was the first Democrat to be elected Governor of Illinois since Daniel Walker in 1972. Blagojevich struggled annually to pass legislation and budgets. He is currently the target of multiple federal investigations and had historically low approval ratings within Illinois; at one time the Rasmussen Reports ranked him "America's Least Popular Governor" even before the news of his corruption investigation broke. |
