Illinois governor returns to wok with no comment on corruption charges

[Guest guest]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081210/world/illinois_governor

Illinois governor returns to wok with no comment on corruption

charges

39 minutes ago

By The Associated Press

CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagovich returned to work Wednesday, a

day after he was arrested and accused of scheming to enrich himself

by selling president-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Blagojevich is out on bond and has denied any wrongdoing.

The Democratic governor left his home on Chicago's North Side early

Wednesday and waved to the media before quickly getting into a dark

SUV without talking to the reporters.

A short time later, Blagojevich's SUV arrived at his office.

" He is still the sitting governor of Illinois today, now, and that is

not something we have any say in or control of, " U.S. Attorney

Fitzgerald said in unveiling corruption charges Tuesday

against the 52-year-old governor.

The governor's lawyer, Sheldon Sorosky, said Tuesday he didn't know

of any immediate plans for the governor to resign. Blagojevich

believes he didn't do anything wrong and asks Illinois residents to

have faith in him, Sorosky said.

" I suppose we will have to go to trial, " he said.

Blagojevich could still appoint someone to fill Obama's seat despite

the charges that he tried to barter it away for cash or a plum job in

what Fitzgerald called " a political corruption crime spree. "

But it would take a lot of nerve and Blagojevich would have to hurry

because state legislators are racing to snatch away his power to

appoint a new senator and put it in the hands of voters.

" No appointment by this governor, under these circumstances, could

produce a credible replacement, " Senator Dick Durbin said Tuesday

after the governor, was arrested on charges of conspiring to commit

fraud and soliciting bribery.

Until state legislators call a special election, though, Blagojevich

still has the power to fill the Senate seat left vacant by Obama.

Obama was not accused of any wrongdoing.

" I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so we were not

I was not aware of what was happening, " Obama said. " And as I said,

it's a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that, I don't think it's

appropriate to comment. "

Prosecutors stepped in and had the governor arrested because he was

on " what can only be called a political corruption crime spree, "

Fitzgerald said.