* 7:05 pm - Gov. Rod Blagojevich missed another impeachment trial deadline…
…Blagojevich failed to answer impeachment charges, meaning the Illinois Senate plans to enter a “not guilty” plea on his behalf.
Blagojevich attorney Sheldon Sorosky said today the governor’s legal team filed no appearance or response to today’s 4 p.m. Senate deadline.
The governor had until 4 o’clock today to file any motions to dismiss “the sufficiency of articles of impeachment.”
He previously missed a Saturday deadline to “answer to article of impeachment.”
* The governor was also fingerprinted again…
The governor, charged with political corruption, was fingerprinted again because the quality of the first set of prints taken last month was not considered good enough, sources said.
The fingerprinting inside the federal courthouse came on a Blagojevich visit to pretrial services that his attorneys characterized as routine. The governor’s attorneys noted that the governor is required to appear at the offices whenever directed. His lead lawyer, Edward Genson, was not present.
* 7:24 pm - Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn reported having just $83,500 in his campaign account today while raising $142,032.50 during the final six months of 2008. Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has not yet filed. Here are some more numbers…
Attorney General Lisa Madigan reported having $3.5 million in her campaign account after raising just over $1 million in the second half of 2008, the period the report covers.
Comptroller Dan Hynes raised $644,000 and had $2.9 million in the bank. […]
Among Republicans mentioned for the governor’s office, state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington has $331,000; Sen. Dan Rutherford of Chenoa has $263,000; and DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett has $45,000.
Republican Doug Whitley reported raising $85,389.58 and had $81,588.70 in the bank.
And the guv had a bit of trouble with his D-2 filing…
Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s attorneys say that when FBI agents carried out a search warrant at his campaign office, they may have confiscated documents he needed to file complete financial disclosure reports.
Attorney Anthony J. Jacob said in a letter Tuesday to the Illinois State Board of Elections that the Friends of Blagojevich committee filed its report. But he says the FBI seized paperwork on Dec. 9 that may contain information that needs to be disclosed.
Jacob says the committee has requested the information from the FBI and will update its report as needed.
You can read the letter on this page.
- A Citizen - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 7:17 pm:
As Bill might say: Whoops & UhOh !!
- You Go Boy - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 7:37 pm:
Counting out bribe money will wear off fingerprints….
- Leatherneck - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 8:37 pm:
A Citizen,
Or as Homer Simpson might say: D’OH!!
- A Citizen - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 9:15 pm:
Sorry, Rich - got caught up in the moment.
- A Citizen - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 9:33 pm:
A really good set of prints just might help match the ones on the envelope(s) with the $25,000 in them?
- Mr. Ethics - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 10:09 pm:
Even Homer Simpson pokes a little fun at the Gov. in next week’s episode.
- Bookworm - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 10:28 pm:
Could this be the real reason Hynes is backing away from a gubernatorial run?
- Speaking At Will - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 10:41 pm:
Is it just me, or have we reached a new low when the Gov. gets fingerprinted (albeit for a second time) and it only draws 8 comments on thecapitolfaxblog.
Ho hum, just another day.
- Gregor - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 10:42 pm:
The dog ate his homework, too. I’m sure he was going to declare every penny if the FBI hadn’t interrupted.
- Bookworm - Tuesday, Jan 20, 09 @ 11:06 pm:
Will, perhaps the Tribune’s lede answers your question:
“On a day when President Barack Obama raised his hand to take the oath of office, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was back at the federal courthouse putting his hand down for another set of fingerprints.”
- Captain America - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 8:34 am:
It would be completely out of character for Governor Pinocchio to respect impeachment deadlines or procedures. My guess is that his impeachemnt strategy will be more rhetorical salvos, which will amount to little more than nolo contendre with respect to the substantive matters at issue. Since conviction/removal from office appears to be a certainty, Blago will make a futile effort to claim that the charges agaisnt him are baseless and that the process is fundamnentally illegitimate. If he has any sense of dignity, self-respect, and rationality left,he will resign and conserve his diminshing resources for criminal defense.
Furthermore, I expect thst criminal lawyers will eventually argue that it’s impossible for Blago to get a fair trial in Illinois becasue of the because a tainted and prejudicial impeachment process that will have poisoned public’s/jury pool’s mind.
- IMBack - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 8:48 am:
Sorry to venture OT, but did anyone see the Simpsons’ commercial last night? Homer is being confirmed as the Nachos Czar or Secretary of Nachos and he says that he should be in because the governor of Illinois approved him. Awesome.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 8:49 am:
I would not be surprised if Blagojevich is now more worried about the criminal charges than he is with his impeachment. He knows that an avenue of escape from impeachment and removal is blocked, but a sliver of light can be seen regarding the criminal charges. So his attention has probably turned from saving his Office to saving his scalp.
After we are finished with Blagojevich, we’re going to be shell-shocked at the mess we’re left with!
The reality might have hit him, but it hasn’t yet hit us.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 8:51 am:
Quinn and Giannoulais?
I think Quinn is comfy to voters enough to give Alexi second thoughts about running against Quinn. I think Giannoulais should challenge Burris.
- northsidejim - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 9:09 am:
Brady $331,000 after 2 years of telling everyone your running? That’s not enough to run for AG. Whitley has $81,500? Not really catching fire is he?
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 9:23 am:
Sounds to me as though he will act as though the impeachment process isn’t happening, since in his mind, it’s invalid, I guess.. That could mean some difficulties after he actually is impeached, since he likely would act as though that hadn’t happened either. So….will somebody have to carry him out of his office? Change the locks? Will there be a
scene? A prolonged legal challenge while he claims he is really still the guv. This could be really
riveting. Someone must be writing the mini-series
as we speak.
- Secret Square - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 9:26 am:
CA, if Blago were being tried in criminal court right now the “can’t get a fair trial” argument might be plausible; but a year or two from now, after he’s been out of office for a while and the immediate outrage about his conduct has died down, I don’t know if that argument will be as effective.
Interestingly enough, the last time any state governor was impeached and removed from office (Evan Mecham in Arizona) he was convicted and removed by his state Senate, then just a few months later, acquitted at his federal criminal trial.
- Niles Township - Wednesday, Jan 21, 09 @ 10:03 am:
I guarantee money will pour in for Quinn by the next report. The givers give to the current occupant no matter what. See Blago for evidence of that.