Illinois Governor Presents Closing Argument
Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich presented his closing arguments this morning in an impeachment trial that he has called “unfair.”
The governor had initially refused to take part in the trial that began Monday, but announced yesterday that he would speak to the Illinois Senate.
The two-term Democratic governor spoke for 45 minutes in what one could only call an impassioned plea to keep his job.
In his closing argument, Governor Blagojevich told the chamber that the prosecution had “proved no crime.”
“How can you throw a governor out of office with incomplete or insufficient evidence?” he asked.
The governor also claimed that statements attributed to him in recordings of his telephone conversations about filling the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama had been taken out of context.
Illinois House prosecutors and Illinois State Senators hearing the case openly criticized Governor Blagojevich for not testifying under oath or taking questions.
“He simply says there’s no evidence and walks off the stage,” said David Ellis, the House prosecutor, during his rebuttal.
“He says, ‘walk a mile in his shoes,’” Ellis continued. “Well, if I were innocent and I were in his shoes, I would have taken that witness stand and I would have testified and I would have told you why I was innocent. The governor didn’t do that.”
“I’m immune to his speech giving,” said Senator Christine Radogno, the Republican leader of the Senate, in an interview after the governor spoke. “We’ve seen those tricks before.”
