Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich said Friday that he’s prepared to “fight” accusations that he tried to sell a Senate seat, bribe the Chicago Tribune and withhold state funding in exchange for campaign contributions.
In his first official response since being arrested 10 days ago, the defiant governor said he will not resign — a move nearly every other politician in Illinois and President-elect Barack Obama has called on him to do.
“I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath,” Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, said in a brief news conference in Chicago. “I have done nothing wrong.”
Mr. Blagojevich has gone to work each day since the arrest, signing bills and, late Friday, even granting pardons to 22 people.
His predecessor made a similar move. Former Gov. George Ryan famously cleared the state’s death row just before he left office in 2003 amid accusations of corruption.
Mr. Blagojevich’s attorney, Ed Genson, has said the governor will not fill Mr. Obama’s vacant Senate seat because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said a Blagojevich appointee would be unacceptable.
Mr. Genson is a high-powered Chicago attorney known for his tough trial presence and willingness to do almost anything for a win.
Mr. Blagojevich’s refusal to step down promises that the scandal, which Republicans are trying to tie to Mr. Obama, will remain in the news for a while. Chicago newspapers have reported that Mr. Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is on tapes talking about the seat, but not offering anything illegal.
It also leaves the future of the U.S. Senate seat — a traditionally reliable vote for Democrats — in limbo.
The Illinois Supreme Court has denied a request by Attorney General Lisa Madigan — a longtime Blagojevich foe — to remove the governor from power.
Some members of the state legislature have said they plan to introduce a bill that would allow for a special election. The legislative body also has formed a committee to start on the impeachment process, but both moves will likely take months.
Mr. Blagojevich was arrested after federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court in Chicago. No indictment has yet been handed up in the case.
But already much of Illinois’ official business has been halted. The state legislature unanimously voted to start impeachment hearings, and no politician has come out in support of the governor. The state’s credit rating has plummeted, making costly state loans even more costly.
Mr. Blagojevich blamed a “political lynch mob” for his troubles. He took a swipe at Ms. Madigan and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who both appeared on national talk shows Sunday. He said he refused to respond to the allegations “in 30-second sound bites on ’Meet the Press.’”
The governor took no questions Friday and asked Illinoisans to be patient until he is able to respond in court to the criminal complaint filed against him.
“I am dying to answer the charges,” he said. “I am dying to show you how innocent I am.”
He quoted “If,” a Rudyard Kipling poem about integrity. He said he is “kind of lonely right now” but is comforted by the truth.
Earlier this week, Mr. Genson appeared at an impeachment hearing at the state Capitol in Springfield and said taped conversations between the governor and associates were obtained illegally.
In the tapes, Mr. Blagojevich is heard saying he wants something in return for naming someone to the Senate, that he wants a Tribune writer fired and that he expects campaign contributions from companies with contracts.
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna again called on Mr. Blagojevich on Friday to resign.
“For the good of the people, Rod Blagojevich should resign from office immediately and spare voters any more heartache than he’s already caused,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Emanuel has not responded to published reports that he suggested to Mr. Blagojevich’s advisers several people who could fill the Senate seat, and there was no information that he offered the governor any inducements.
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