Blagojevich terms Illinois Senate impeachment trial a ”Kangaroo Court”
January 27th, 2009 - 1:17 pm ICT by ANI Chicago (Illinois, US), Jan.27 (ANI): Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has declared the Illinois State Senate impeachment proceedings a “kangaroo court.” Blagojevich told FOX News on Monday that “What’’s happening to me is unimaginable. It’’s a kangaroo court…when they are basing an impeachment on a criminal allegation that their rules don”t allow them to prove up.
And they, even worse than that, don”t allow me to disprove by preventing me from calling witnesses, then my lawyers and I believe that to be part of a process like that is to dignify a fraudulent impeachment process that sets a dangerous precedent for governors in Illinois and governors across America,” he added.
“All I”m asking the state Senate to do is allow me to bring witnesses and bring evidence to show I did nothing wrong, and if they”re going to say I did something wrong, then the least they should do is prove it up,” he said.
The Illinois governor also emphasized White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’’s statement last week that the two men never discussed anything inappropriate in regard to Obama’’s vacant Senate seat.
“Rahm Emanuel said on national television about a week or so ago that there was nothing improper in his conversations with me, and that’’s certainly accurate,” he said.
When asked whom Emanuel wanted him to name to replace Obama in the U.S. Senate, Blagojevich declined to answer, saying, “those are private conversations.”
Blagojevich also said that talk show host Oprah Winfrey was among those he considered to fill Obama’’s seat — a revelation he made Monday morning during an interview on ABC’’s “Good Morning America.”
“There were discussions…that was for real,” he said.
Blagojevich added that his conversations over the Senate seat were taken “out of their proper context.” (ANI)
- Former US governor sentenced to 14 years in prison - Dec 08, 2011
- Facing impeachment, Illinois governor cites Gandhi - Jan 27, 2009
- Rod Blagojevich Refuses To Testify - Jul 22, 2010
- Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Declines To Testify - Jul 22, 2010
- Former Illinois Gov. Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years for corruption - Dec 08, 2011
- Rod Blagojevich Convicted on One Count, Mistrial Called on 23 Others - Aug 18, 2010
- Democratic Supreme Court puts Rahm Emanuel Back on Mayor Ballot - Jan 26, 2011
- Obama faces uphill re-election climb, says ex-aide - Oct 10, 2011
- Former Illinois governor guilty of lying - Aug 18, 2010
- Indian-American fundraiser under US scanner - Apr 13, 2011
- Rahm Emanuel departs as White House Chief of Staff - Oct 02, 2010
- Obama team had no 'inappropriate' contact with Blagojevich: probe - Dec 24, 2008
- Indian-American offered to raise $1 mn for Senate seat - Jul 09, 2010
- Former Illinois Governor Blagojevich found guilty of lying to FBI - Aug 18, 2010
- Tainted Blagojevich stuns all by naming ex-Illinois AG to replace Obama in Senate - Dec 31, 2008
Tags: dangerous precedent, fox news, good morning america, governor rod blagojevich, illinois governor, illinois senate, illinois state senate, impeachment process, kangaroo court, oprah winfrey, private conversations, proper context, rahm emanuel, rod blagojevich, senate impeachment proceedings, senate impeachment trial, talk show host, u s senate, vacant senate seat, white house chief of staff