Blagojevich Impeachment Committee Report Released (VIDEO)

UPDATE 1/8 9:30 A.M.

The Illinois House committee studying impeachment of Gov. Blagojevich has released a draft of its report that calls for the full chamber to vote on whether to impeach him.

From the AP:

The impeachment committee could vote to accept the report this afternoon. That would probably be followed by a full House vote on the issue on Friday.

No Illinois governor has ever been impeached.

The draft report was released Thursday morning by the impeachment review committee.

It doesn't include a formal article of impeachment laying out the charges against Blagojevich. That could be written separately.

But the report does conclude there's cause to believe the Democratic governor abused his power and engaged in pay-to-play politics.

Blagojevich has denied any wrongdoing.

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CBS 2's Jay Levine reports that the House panel studying the impeachment of Gov. Blagojevich is on the verge of finishing its work and the majority of its report is already complete. Thursday's testimony from Blagojevich Senate appointee Roland Burris is the committee's last big event, Levine reports.

The panel's report, which will likely be expanded beyond the existing 54 pages, is divided evenly between the new allegations contained in the U.S. Attorney's criminal complaint and older legislative complaints against the governor.

At the core of those older complaints are questions about the Blagojevich administration's hiring practices, the Tribune reports:

At the heart of the impeachment committee's look at hiring irregularities is a confidential 2004 report by the governor's handpicked executive inspector general, said House Majority Leader Barbara Currie (D-Chicago), the panel's chairwoman.

The report, which the Tribune disclosed as Blagojevich ran for re-election in 2006, concluded that his patronage office was the "real machine driving hiring" in a state agency for jobs that were supposed to be free of political influence.

"This effort reflects not merely an ignorance of the law, but complete and utter contempt for the law," according to the report written by Zaldwaynaka Scott, who was Blagojevich's first executive inspector general.

The Tribune reaffirmed reports from last week that the governor could be impeached by the end of the week.

Watch CBS video on the impeachment report:

Comments

[Dupree]

Be careful...very careful...for the same identical gloat those has for Blagojevich would immediately tranformed into a totally different emotion if they or their loved ones was accused and designated as guilty based upon evidence that has yet been approved of by a court of law. Fitzgerald asks for more time to "prepare" this "so called solid" case. I hope Blagojevich beat this NOT because I am fond of him...for I am not....but I am fond of due process and when one person is denied this...All Americans should take notice...for that means that one should be considered guilty just because one person thinks he is and nevermind ...his right to a defense...our minds are already made up. Sad commentary on this country....but then this is the same country that tortured others too.

[Dupree]

TO: Catjya:

You scare me as an American. What happened to innocent until proven guilty. The founding fathers set up rules and laws to safeguards all Americans and ensure that each one have the right to face their accusers. You along with the other politial lynch mob that consist of public opinion and the Senate has decided that Blagojevich side of the story does not matter at all. He should be denied a defense of which YOU and I would seek if in the same identical predictament. The entire case is based upon the attorney general "selection of sound bites" that evidently is not sufficient enough to bring to a court of law...so he bought it before the "court" of public opinion who has such a low standard for guilt that a one sided argument ...is enough to penalize and persecute. Well, this is NOT the America I seek to be apart of.

[Catjya]

Blah blah blah,not falling for another set of botched allegation,he's corrupt get him out of office.