Feds Ask Ill. Lawmakers to Limit Scope of Impeachment Inquiry
Illinois lawmakers considering impeachment for Gov. Rod Blagojevich have agreed to a request by federal prosecutors to limit the scope of their probe so as not to interfere with the government’s ongoing criminal investigation.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald released a letter Tuesday asking legislators to refrain from interviewing key witnesses, including current and former members of the governor’s staff, as well as associates convicted of federal crimes, according to numerous published reports, including the Wall Street Journal.
Fitzgerald worried that testimony by these witnesses could compromise his office’s investigation into the governor. Blagojevich was arrested on Dec. 9 and accused of widespread corruption. Blagojevich has since proclaimed his innocence and intends to aggressively fight the charges.
The direction from Fitzgerald was a response to a letter that an Illinois House committee sent to the federal prosecutor, asking for guidance on how to proceed in light of the parallel criminal probe.
