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| Impeachment call for Blagojevich | Impeachment call for Blagojevich |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A investigative panel of state senators in the American state of Illinois has recommended the impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich. | A investigative panel of state senators in the American state of Illinois has recommended the impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich. |
| He denies seeking to sell President-elect Barack Obama's US Senate seat for personal gain. | |
| The panel of state representatives said the evidence showed he was not fit to be governor, paving the way for an impeachment vote by the full house. | The panel of state representatives said the evidence showed he was not fit to be governor, paving the way for an impeachment vote by the full house. |
| Mr Blagojevich was arrested last month on a range of corruption charges. | Mr Blagojevich was arrested last month on a range of corruption charges. |
| The man he appointed to succeed Mr Obama, Roland Burris, told the panel that he had made no deals with the governor to gain the appointment. | The man he appointed to succeed Mr Obama, Roland Burris, told the panel that he had made no deals with the governor to gain the appointment. |
| Mr Blagojevich has always maintained his innocence and rejected calls that he should resign but he did not appear before the Illinois state committee to defend himself. | |
| The Illinois House could vote as early as Friday on whether to make Mr Blagojevich the first governor impeached in Illinois history, the Associated Press news agency reports. | The Illinois House could vote as early as Friday on whether to make Mr Blagojevich the first governor impeached in Illinois history, the Associated Press news agency reports. |
| Unanimous vote | |
| The 21 members of the Illinois House panel voted unanimously to impeach the governor. | |
| They had looked at testimony from FBI agents who wiretapped phone calls to and from the governor's office about who should fill Barack Obama's Senate seat. | |
| It is alleged the conversations show that Rod Blagoyovitch was trying to use the seat to get himself or his wife a job. | |
| "I think this is a good, glad, happy day for Illinois because it points out that nobody is above the law," said Representative Bill Black, a Republican. | "I think this is a good, glad, happy day for Illinois because it points out that nobody is above the law," said Representative Bill Black, a Republican. |
| "There have been egregious abuses if half of what we read is true." | "There have been egregious abuses if half of what we read is true." |