Illinois House Unanimously Votes To Investigate Charges Against Blagojevich

December 16, 2008 6:07 a.m. EST

Chicago, IL (AHN) - On a vote of 113-0, the Illinois House on Monday authorized a committee to investigate Gov. Rod Blagojevich for abuse of power. But the Democratic-led state House did not remove the Democratic governor's power to appoint a successor to President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

The probe will go beyond the pay-for-play accusation leveled against Blagojevich, but include enacting large programs without legislative fiat.

The hearings will start Tuesday and are expected to last several weeks. The panel will gather data from the U.S. Attorney's Office and other federal investigations like those that will come from the conviction of the governor's top adviser Antoin Rezko.

By signing several bills into law on Monday, Blagojevich indicated he is not going to step down from his post despite the growing clamor for his to resign. The governor has hired renowned criminal defense lawyer Ed Genson as his legal counsel.

Blagojevich spokesman, Lucio Guerrero, has belittled the impeachment proceedings. Guerrero said, quoted by the Chicago Tribune, "Talk of impeachment is nothing new to the governor, and once the House makes its recommendations, then he will have more to say."

Aside from Blagojevich, named in the complaint filed by Daniel Cain, special agent of the FBI, was John Harris, the governor's chief of staff. Aside from the pay-for-play scandal, Cain complained in his affidavit about the governor having threatened to withhold from the Tribune Company, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, at least $100 million financial assistance in connection with Wrigley Field, to pressure the media firm to fire editorial board members who wrote critical editorials against the governor.