Rod Blagojevich Gives Public Statement on Scandal

For the first time since his arrest on corruption charges, Rod Blagojevich gave a news conference about the accusations he's facing.

At the 2 p.m. conference, Blagojevich came out swinging. He began: "I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing; that I intend to stay on the job, and I will fight this thing every step of the way. I will fight. I will fight. I will fight. Until I take my last breath. I have done nothing wrong."

He went on to defend his decision not to resign. He said, "I'm not going to quit a job that the people hired me to do because of the false accusations of a political lynch mob." He also called those opposing him "his accusers and political enemies." He said that these detractors spoke in sound bites on the news, while he intended to fight the charges in the appropriate forum-the courts

Although the governor appeared to be nervous and took deep breaths, he spoke strongly about the charges against him. "I am dying to show you how innocent I am," the governor said. "I will be vindicated."

He also quoted Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" during the brief conference.

He finished by saying that he has the most powerful ally-the truth, and told Illinoisans to be patient and reserve judgment and that he deserved his "day in court" to prove his innocence. He thanked his supporters.

He gave this statement in Chicago at the James R. Thompson Center. Blagojevich did not take questions from reporters.

The governor had hinted to reporters earlier this week that he would give a statement soon: "I can't wait to begin to tell my side of the story."

Wiretaps performed by the FBI revealed that Blagojevich conspired to sell the U.S. Senate seat that was previously occupied by President-elect Barack Obama and made numerous attempts to garner bribes from those receiving public funds. The Illinois governor also indicated to some individuals that they would have to donate hefty sums to his campaign fund to receive state jobs.

Since his corruption charges on Dec. 9, Blagojevich has received numerous calls to resign, including from Obama, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn. Blagojevich's move to carry on as though nothing happened has shocked many news commentators, even prompting some speculation about his mental health.

Earlier this week, an attempt by Madigan to get the Illinois Supreme Court to declare Blagojevich unfit for office failed. Impeachment proceedings in the Illinois House have begun; however, Blagojevich's legal team is arguing that the FBI's wiretaps were illegally obtained and cannot be submitted as evidence.

With his latest statement, it seems unlikely that Blagojevich will leave office without a lengthy legal battle.

Sources:

United States of America v. Rod Blagojevich and John Harris. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Accessed through http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/acrobat/2008-12/43789434.pdf

Wills, Christopher. "Ill. High Court Rejects Attempt to Remove Governor." Associated Press. Dec. 17, 2009. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081217/ap_on_re_us/illinois_governor