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Chicago – In
what turned out to be pledge of innocence, Illinois Gov. Rod
Blagojevich spoke for the first time since federal corruption charges
were filed against him on Dec. 9.
Blagojevich addressed the media at the James
R. Thompson center and was quick to deny his accusers. “I’m
here to tell you right off that bat that I am not guilty of any
criminal wrongdoing, I intend to stay on the job and I will fight this
thing every step of the way,” he said. “I will fight, I
will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath. I
have done nothing wrong. And I’m not going to quit a job the
people hired me to do because of false accusations and a political
lynch mob.”
Earlier this month,
Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were brought in on
conspiracy charges for conspiring to sell President-elect Barack
Obama’s open Senate seat. Blagojevich has had reporters camped
outside of his home for more than the past week and when the time came
for the disgraced governor to speak, he let the press have it.
“I’m
not going to do what my accusers and political enemies have been doing
and that is talk about this case in 30-second sound bytes on “Meet the Press”
or on the TV news,” he said, continuing to discuss the pending
federal charges. “Now, I’m dying to answer these charges. I
am dying to show you how innocent I am and I want assure everyone
who’s here and who’s listening that I intend to answer
every allegation that comes my way. However, I intend to answer them in
the appropriate forum – in a court of law and when I do I am
absolutely certain that I will be vindicated.”
Blagojevich
went to quote Ruyrd Kipling’s poem “If,” before
making last statement of defiance. “Ruyard Kipling wrote,
“Now I know there are some powerful forces arrayed against me
– it’s kind of lonely right now. But I have on my side the
most powerful ally there is and it’s the truth.’ And
besides, I have the personal knowledge that I have not done anything
wrong.”
–gavin philip godfrey
