Governor’s Statement to Press from this Morning, January 22, 2009

From the Office of Governor Rod Blagojevich

CHICAGO – “I want to make a brief statement and then I’ll have more to say about this either today or tomorrow. It’s my understanding that Senator Cullerton has said I’m being defiant because my lawyers have refused to participate in a sham impeachment trial. Let me be very clear, this has nothing to do with defiance on my part and everything to do with respect for the Office of the Governor. What the Senate and House are trying to do is to thwart the will of the people and remove a governor elected twice by the people without a fair hearing, without due process, and without giving me the right - the most basic right every citizen in our country has - and that is the right to call witnesses. I’d like to call, for example, Rahm Emmanuel, President Obama’s Chief of Staff, who on 'Face the Nation' just last Sunday, made it very clear nothing inappropriate happened in his conversations with me, about who the next Senate pick is. I want the Senate to agree to let me call witnesses like that, and we want them to work with us to have a fair hearing, a fair process. My lawyers have chosen not to participate in the impeachment process in the Senate because they believe, rightfully so, that the rules which don’t allow me, as the governor, to call witnesses are unfair, and deny fundamental due process. You can’t possibly defend yourself when they say you did something and they don't let you call witnesses to say you didn't do it. I’ll have more to say later.”