IL House panel unanimously approves report accusing Blagojevich of wide range of offenses

Paving the way for an unprecedented Illinois House vote Friday to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL), a legislative panel unanimously approved a scathing report accusing the two-term Democrat of a wide array of offenses, including criminal corruption and wasting taxpayer money. Thursday's 21-0 vote for impeachment by the special House Investigation Committee concluded the panel's work almost a month to the day after Blagojevich's Dec. 9 arrest at his home on federal charges that he used the governor's office to try to enrich himself personally and politically. The impeachment article includes the allegations contained in the federal criminal complaint against Blagojevich—that the governor sought to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama and that he conditioned awarding financial assistance to the Tribune Co. in the sale of Wrigley Field on the firing of members of the Chicago Tribune's editorial board. Other elements of the federal charges included in the impeachment resolution are allegations that Blagojevich tried to squeeze campaign donations from a horse-racing official, a highway contractor, a children's hospital executive and others in exchange for beneficial treatment by the state. But the impeachment article goes beyond the federal charges to include what lawmakers called Blagojevich's "utter disregard" for the legislative branch of government in expanding health-care programs.