Six-Day Holiday Break For Illinois Impeachment Panel

December 23, 2008 10:17 a.m. EST

Springfield, IL (AHN) - Before the Illinois impeachment panel started their six-day holiday break, the body sought the advice of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald things it should and should not do to successfully oust Gov. Rod Blagojevich from his post.

When the committee closed it was not sure how deeply it could look into criminal charges against the embattled governor. So the panel will not complicate Fitzgerald's probe, the committee sought the U.S. Attorney's guidance.

The committee will reconvene on Dec. 29. According to the governor's lawyer, Ed Genson, he plans to present to the committee next week a list of witnesses, which will take him a whole day to question.

The impeachment committee's recommendation is expected to be out by the first week of January.

On its fifth day the panel heard Cynthia Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reforms. According to Canary, Blagojevich raised more than five-figure donations than the two past state governors combined. With fund-raising restrictions about to take effect Jan. 1, the governor's appetite for donations was whet.

The ICPR disclosed Blagojevich accepted 435 contributions worth $25,000 each or more the past 8 years. In contrast, former Gov. George Ryan got only 35 contributions valued over $25,000 in six years, while ex-Gov. Jim Edgar had only 8 such contributions during his last six years as governor.

Canary said, quoted by the Chicago Sun-Times, "It was like handing an arsonist the keys to a gas station and saying you would return in six months. The people of Illinois and indeed the worlds are now viewing the five-alarm fire that has resulted."