Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Illinois Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Petition To Remove Governor

Wisely, the Illinois Supreme Court turned down Attorney General Lisa Madigan's politically-charged petition to remove Gov. Rod Blagoyevich on the ground that he suffers from a "disability." The Court's denial came without comment. Madigan's father, House Speaker Mike Madigan, initiated a resolution in the Illinois House of Representatives to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor as prescribed by the Illinois Constitution. The House unanimously approved the resolution and those proceedings got underway today.

Blagoyevich's attorney, Ed Genson, made a big splash by requesting the impeachment committee approve an application he submitted to receive reimbursement from the taxpayers for his representation of the governor in the proceeding. The committee turned him down, telling him to take his request up with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the same person trying to remove the governor for disability. Genson then asked the committee for the right to subpoena witnesses and documents on behalf of the governor. The committee said no. He then demanded that several of the committee members recuse themselves from participating in the proceeding because they made statements prejudicial to his client during the debate on the impeachment resolution. Again, the committee said no. This should get more interesting, particularly when the governor tells the story he's telling reporters that he's anxious to discuss publicly. The House committee is making documents introduced in the impeachment hearings available online, which you can find here.

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