Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan wants her state's Supreme Court to declare Gov. Rod Blagojevich "unable to serve" and strip him of some of his duties in the wake of his arrest.
The Chicago Tribune's Ray Long reports:
In the motion, Madigan argues that, given the nature and severity of the federal corruption allegations against Blagojevich, the Supreme Court should stop the governor from performing his duties. She asks the court to allow Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn to temporarily assume those duties under the Governor Succession Act in state law.
If the court doesn't hand over the governor's duties to Quinn, Madigan argued, Blagojevich should be blocked from appointing a senator to fill the Obama seat. She also sought to prevent Blagojevich from acting on legislation sent to him by the Illinois House or Senate, directing state agencies in the negotiation and execution of contracts or directing activities of the Illinois tollway.
Madigan also says that Blagojevich should be barred from directing the Illinois Finance Authority, which he allegedly planned to use as a stick against the Tribune Co., witholding state money the company wanted for the Chicago Cubs' stadium unless Tribune owner Sam Zell agreed to fire unfriendly members of the Chicago Tribune's editorial board. And she wants him to hand over the authority to spend state funds to Quinn.
Madigan's father, Michael Madigan, who is speaker of the Illinois House, is meeting with his Republican counterpart on Monday to discuss impeaching Blagojevich.
The governor, meanwhile, spent Friday morning at home, praying with several ministers before heading to his office. He told one of the pastors that he would be vindicated "when you hear each chapter completely written," the Tribune reports.
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