Illinois House votes to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich

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Illinois House votes to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich

24 minutes ago

By The Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois House of Representatives voted

overwhelmingly Friday to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, an

unprecedented action that sets up a state Senate trial on whether he

should be thrown out for allegedly trying to sell president-elect

Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat.

Impeachment required just 60 votes. The final result was 114-1.

Legislators accused the second-term Democratic governor of letting

down the people of Illinois by allowing ego and ambition to drive his

decisions.

" It's our duty to clean up the mess and stop the freak show that's

become Illinois government, " said state Representative Jack s, a

Democrat.

Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges that include

allegations he schemed to profit from his power to name Obama's

replacement in the Senate. The criminal complaint included an FBI

agent's sworn affidavit describing wiretaps that caught Blagojevich

allegedly talking about what he could get for the seat, how to put

pressure on people to make campaign contributions and more.

That arrest triggered impeachment hearings by a special House

committee.

The committee on Thursday unanimously recommended impeachment based

on the criminal charges but other allegations, as well - that

Blagojevich expanded a health care program without proper authority,

that he circumvented hiring laws to give jobs to political allies,

that he spent millions of dollars on foreign flu vaccine that he knew

wasn't needed and couldn't be brought into the country.

" The citizens of this state must have confidence that their governor

will faithfully serve the people and put their interests before his

own, " the committee's report said. " It is with profound regret that

the committee finds that our current governor has not done so. "

Blagojevich has denied the criminal charges. He criticized the House

impeachment process as biased and said a Senate trial would produce a

different result.

But he didn't testify before the House impeachment committee and

hasn't offered an explanation for the federal charges.

" His silence in this great matter is deafening, " said House Majority

Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat.