Rep. Pihos Votes to Impeach Governor Blagojevich

(Posted 01/09/2009) - Rep. Sandra Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn) joined an overwhelming majority of the Illinois House in voting in favor of impeaching Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has been under a cloud of scrutiny following his December 9th arrest on alleged federal corruption charges brought forth by the U.S Attorney's Office.

The impeachment resolution that was voted on was accompanied by an extensive report of findings by the House impeachment panel. Gov. Blagojevich was invited to appear before the committee but chose not to participate.

The vote now allows a trial to be held in the State Senate, which has the power to remove Gov. Blagojevich from office with 40 of its 59 members voting to convict Blagojevich.

"Given the significant difficulties and financial challenges our state will be facing in the coming months, we need a governor who can lead, and the allegations of wrongdoing by Mr. Blagojevich has undermined his ability to be leading our state at this time. The trust of the citizens of Illinois has been violated and our constituents deserve strong leadership with great integrity that is beyond reproach." Rep. Pihos said.

The impeachment vote comes after weeks of hearings by a special impeachment committee of the House. "I have been impressed with the process the impeachment committee has implemented to provide a fair and impartial hearing," Pihos said. "The extensive research the committee has requested and considered and their meticulous consideration of every detail gives me assurance that the committee's set a very high standard for their deliberations and conclusions."

Gov. Blagojevich was arrested in early December after a years-long FBI investigation into his administration. Federal officials accuse the governor of attempting to sell the US Senate seat vacated by President-elect Obama, along with various other schemes to use his power as governor for his personal benefit. The impeachment charges included a wide array of offenses, including criminal corruption, a pattern of abuse of power and the wasting of taxpayer dollars.

"Mr. Blagojevich of course has the presumption of innocence, as any citizen of our country does. But impeachment is about the ability to lead and the ability to serve, and Illinois must have dedicated and exemplary leadership if we are to move our state forward," Pihos said.

For more information, contact Rep. Pihos at (630) 858-8855.