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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Section 14 of Article IV of the Illinois
3 Constitution provides that the House of Representatives has the
4 sole power to conduct legislative investigations to determine
5 the existence of cause for impeachment; and
 
6     WHEREAS, In furtherance of that power, on December 15,
7 2008, the House of Representatives of the Ninety-Fifth General
8 Assembly unanimously adopted House Resolution 1650 creating a
9 Special Investigative Committee for the purpose of (i)
10 investigating allegations of misfeasance, malfeasance,
11 nonfeasance, and other misconduct of Governor Rod R.
12 Blagojevich and (ii) making a recommendation as to whether
13 cause exists for impeachment; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In recognition of the gravity of the inquiry, the
15 Special Investigative Committee made a thorough investigation
16 by holding hearings, taking evidence, hearing arguments, and
17 faithfully deliberating; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The Special Investigative Committee gave the
19 Governor the opportunity to appear before the Committee and
20 participate in its proceedings and afforded the Governor more
21 than adequate procedural rights and safeguards; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The Governor declined several invitations of the
2 Special Investigative Committee to personally appear before
3 the Committee; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The Special Investigative Committee developed an
5 extensive record of documentary evidence, written and oral
6 testimony, written and oral argument, and transcripts of its
7 proceedings (the "Committee Record"); and
 
8     WHEREAS, In accordance with House Resolution 1650 of the
9 Ninety-Fifth General Assembly, the Special Investigative
10 Committee filed its Final Report with the House of
11 Representatives (the "Final Report") on January 8, 2009, which
12 is adopted and incorporated as if fully set forth herein; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Final Report of the Special Investigative
14 Committee recommended that Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor of the
15 State of Illinois, be impeached for cause; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The House of Representatives is empowered under
17 Section 14 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution to
18 impeach Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor of the State of Illinois;
19 and
 
20     WHEREAS, On January 9, 2009 the House adopted House
21 Resolution 1671 of the Ninety-Fifth General Assembly and

 

 

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1 thereby impeached Governor Rod R. Blagojevich; and
 
2     WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of the Ninety-Sixth
3 General Assembly chooses to reaffirm the actions taken by the
4 House of Representatives of the Ninety-Fifth General Assembly
5 in its adoption of House Resolution 1671; therefore, be it
 
6     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8 Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor of the State of Illinois, is
9 impeached for cause and that the following article of
10 impeachment be exhibited to the Senate for trial as provided in
11 the Illinois Constitution so that the Senate may do justice
12 according to law:
 
13
ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF
14
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND THE PEOPLE OF THE
15
STATE OF ILLINOIS AGAINST ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, GOVERNOR OF THE
16
STATE OF ILLINOIS, IN MAINTENANCE OF THE IMPEACHMENT OF HIM FOR
17
CAUSE.

 
18
ARTICLE ONE

 
19     Based on the totality of the evidence contained in the
20 Record of the House Special Investigative Committee created
21 under House Resolution 1650 (the "Committee Record") and as

 

 

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1 summarized in the Final Report of the Special Investigative
2 Committee filed with the House of Representatives on January 8,
3 2009 (the "Final Report"), in his conduct while Governor of the
4 State of Illinois, Rod R. Blagojevich, has abused the power of
5 his office in some or all of the following ways:
 
6     1) The Governor's plot to obtain a personal benefit in
7 exchange for his appointment to fill the vacant seat in the
8 United States Senate, as more fully detailed in the Final
9 Report at Section IV-A and in the Committee Record as a whole.
 
10     2) The Governor's plot to condition the awarding of State
11 financial assistance to the Tribune Company on the firing of
12 members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board, as more fully
13 detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-B and in the
14 Committee Record as a whole.
 
15     3) The Governor's plot to trade official acts in exchange
16 for campaign contributions, namely the signing of legislation
17 related to the diversion of casino gambling revenues to the
18 horse racing industry, as more fully detailed in the Final
19 Report at Section IV-C-1 and in the Committee Record as a
20 whole.
 
21     4) The Governor's plot to trade official acts in exchange
22 for campaign contributions, namely the awarding of a State

 

 

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1 tollway contract and the expansion of a tollway project, as
2 more fully detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-C-2 and
3 in the Committee Record as a whole.
 
4     5) The Governor's plot to trade official acts in exchange
5 for campaign contributions, namely the release of pediatric
6 care reimbursements to Illinois doctors and hospitals, as more
7 fully detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-C-3 and in the
8 Committee Record as a whole.
 
9     6) The Governor's plot to trade official acts in exchange
10 for campaign contributions, namely the appointment to a
11 position with the Illinois Finance Authority, as more fully
12 detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-C-4 and in the
13 Committee Record as a whole.
 
14     7) The Governor's plot to trade official acts in exchange
15 for campaign contributions, namely the awarding of State
16 contracts, as more fully detailed in the Final Report at
17 Section IV-C-5 and in the Committee Record as a whole.
 
18     8) The Governor's plot to trade official acts in exchange
19 for campaign contributions, namely the awarding of State
20 permits and authorizations, as more fully detailed in the Final
21 Report at Section IV-C-6 and in the Committee Record as a
22 whole.
 

 

 

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1     9) The Governor's refusal to recognize the authority of the
2 Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to suspend or prohibit
3 rules, his utter disregard of the doctrine of separation of
4 powers, and his violation of the Illinois Administrative
5 Procedure Act by unilaterally expanding a State program, as
6 more fully detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-D and in
7 the Committee Record as a whole.
 
8     10) The Governor's actions with regard to, and
9 responsibility for, the procurement of flu vaccines, as more
10 fully detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-E and in the
11 Committee Record as a whole.
 
12     11) The Governor's actions with regard to, and
13 responsibility for, the I-SaveRx Program, as more fully
14 detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-F and in the
15 Committee Record as a whole.
 
16     12) The Governor's actions with regard to, and
17 responsibility for, the Agency Efficiency Initiatives, as more
18 fully detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-G and in the
19 Committee Record as a whole.
 
20     13) The Governor's violation of State and federal law
21 regarding the hiring and firing of State employees, as more

 

 

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1 fully detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-J and in the
2 Committee Record as a whole.
 
3     Under the totality of the evidence, some or all of these
4 acts of the Governor constitute a pattern of abuse of power.
 
5     Wherefore, this abuse of power by Rod R. Blagojevich
6 warrants his impeachment and trial, removal from office as
7 Governor, and disqualification to hold any public office of
8 this State in the future.