Reporting from Springfield, Ill. — Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached today by the Illinois House, setting up a trial on whether to throw out the state's chief executive, who faces federal corruption charges.
In an expected move, the House voted 114 to 1 to make Blagojevich the first governor in the state to be impeached. It is now up to the state Senate to hold a trial on the charge that the governor abused his power.
"It's our duty to clean up the mess and stop the freak show that's become Illinois government," said Rep. Jack D. Franks, a Democrat.
The Senate will convene next week and is expected to establish the procedures for the trial. Each of the state's 59 senators will get to act as a juror. Forty votes are needed to convict.
A Blagojevich spokesman said the governor would not step down. The governor, who has maintained he is innocent of any crime, will hold a news conference this afternoon.
If Blagojevich is thrown out of office, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would step up to the top spot. A trial is expected to take at least three weeks, meaning that final action will take place sometime in February.
Timing is important because Blagojevich has used his authority to name Roland Burris as the new U.S. senator, replacing President-elect Barack Obama. Among the federal charges the governor faces is an allegation that tried to trade the Senate appointment for favors.
The Senate, however, has refused to seat Burris because of the charges against Blagojevich. Burris testified Thursday before an Illinois committee that there was no quid pro quo regarding his appointment, a move designed to ease the path to his being seated in Washington.
Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges, including that he tried to profit from naming the next senator. That arrest triggered impeachment hearings by a special Illinois House committee and today's vote.
The committee on Thursday unanimously recommended impeachment.
"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 called the House impeachment process biased and said a Senate trial would produce a different result.
Rep. Milt Patterson, a Chicago Democrat, cast the lone vote today against impeaching the governor. Patterson said after the roll call that he didn't believe it was his job to vote to impeach the governor. He declined to comment on whether he approved of the job Blagojevich is doing.
Los Angeles Times staff writer Michael Muskal contributed to this report.
