>> FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ROD
BLAGOJEVICH SPENT THIS AFTERNOON
AT A PLACE HE CAME TO KNOW VERY
WELL: THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE.
THIS TIME IT WAS BY CHOICE.
HE IS TAKING LEGAL ACTION
AGAINST THE STATE.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US NOW WITH
MORE.
AMANDA, WHY IS HE BACK IN COURT?
>> PARIS, YOU KNOW HE MAKE AN
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION IT IS BY
CHOICE AND HE WAS ALONE.
THE LAST TIME IT WAS WITH THE
FEELINGS OF ATTORNEYS, ONLOOKERS
AND JOURNALISTS WHEN HE WAS
CONVICTED OF A SERIES OF
CORRUPTION CHARGES INCLUDING
ATTEMPTED EXTORTION AND
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BRIBES.
>> I'VE NEVER HAD MUCH LUCK IN
THIS BUILDING TO BEGIN WITH BUT
I'M GOING TO TRY.
THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES INVOLVED.
LIKE THE WEAPONNIZATION AND THE
POLITICIZATION OF PROSECUTION
AND IMPEACHMENT.
AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF THE
NECESSARY LEGAL AND ROUTINE
PRACTICES THAT TAKE PLACE IN
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS ALL THE
TIME.
>> NOW, BLAGOJEVICH SPENT EIGHT
YEARS IN PRISON THAT IS UP UNTIL
FEBRUARY OF 2020 WHEN THEN
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP COMMUTED
HIS SENTENCE.
THE COMPLAINT THAT BLAGOJEVICH
FILED WOULD ALLOW HIM TO RETURN
TO HIS PREVIOUS OCCUPATION THAT
OF POLITICIAN.
BLAGOJEVICH IS NOT SEEKING TO
LIFT HIS CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS,
RATHER HE IS SEEKING TO
ESSENTIALLY OVERTURN PART OF
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2009 IN
SPRINGFIELD WHEN LEGISLATORS
IMPEACHED AND REMOVED HIM FROM
OFFICE AND AT THAT TIME THE
ILLINOIS SENATE TOOK A VOTE
SAYING THAT BLAGOJEVICH COULD
NEVER AGAIN RUN FOR STATE OR
LOCAL OFFICE IN THE STATE OF
ILLINOIS.
IT'S THAT BAN THAT BLAGOJEVICH
WANTS LIFTED.
HIS COMPLAINT ALLEGES THAT
PREVENTING HIM FROM RUBBING
OUTWEIGHS ANY HARM THAT COULD BE
CAUSED BY DENYING THE VOTERS THE
RIGHT TO VOTE FOR OTHER AGAINST
HIM IN A FREE ELECTION.
HOUSE G.O.P. LEADER JIM DURKIN
WAS THE TOP REPUBLICAN ON THE
SPECIAL HOUSE INVESTIGATIVE
COMMITTEE THAT IMPEACHED
BLAGOJEVICH IN ' 09 AN ACTION
THAT HE SAID BLAGOJEVICH
DESERVED FOR REPEATEDLY PUTTING
UP THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR FOR
SALE.
>> WHETHER IT WAS SELLING THE
U.S. SENATE SEAT SHAKING DOWN
HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES, FORCING A
PAY TO PLAY OPERATION WITH
LEGISLATION, THE LIST GOES ON.
AND HE WAS CONVICTED.
HIS CONVICTIONS WERE UPHELD BY
THE APPELLATE COURT, THE SUPREME
COURT AND YOU KNOW I'VE HEARD
ENOUGH ABOUT ROD BLAGOJEVICH.
>> BUT BLAGOJEVICH IS BACK NOW
ALLEGING THAT HE WASN'T ALLOWED
TO CALL DURING THOSE IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDINGS ALL RELEVANT
WITNESSES NOR WAS HE GIVEN THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ALL
EVIDENCE.
INCLUDING AN AIRING OF F.B.I.
WIRETAPS OF HIS CONVERSATIONS
THAT STILL REMAIN SECRET.
NOW, DURKIN CALLS THE
ALLEGATIONS AN OUT RIGHT LIE.
>> YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT LACK
OF PROCESS WHEN YOU DON'T
PARTICIPATE.
HE WAIVED EVERY RIGHT THAT HE IS
NOW CLAIMING THAT HE WAS DENIED.
>> I CALLED FORMER FEDERAL
PROSECUTOR JEFF CRAMER FOR HIS
LEGAL TAKE.
>> NOW, THIS IS INTERESTING WHAT
HE SAYS HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CALL
CERTAIN WITNESSES AND WAS DENIED
DUE PROCESS OF LAW.
IF IT WAS IN A COURT OF LAW IT
WAS IN THE FEDERAL BUILDING THAT
WOULD BE A GOOD ARGUMENT BECAUSE
DEFENDANTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO
CALL WITNESSES.
HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT A CRIMINAL
PROCEEDING.
IT WAS NOT A LEGAL PROCEEDING.
IT WAS A POLITICAL DECISION.
>> AND AN IMPEACHMENT IS
INHERENTLY A POLITICAL PROCESS.
KRAMER SAYS IT WILL BE AN UPHILL
BATTLE FOR BLAGOJEVICH.
STILL HE SAYS THERE MAY BE A
PATH FOR THE FORMER GOVERNOR.
>> IF THERE WAS A POLITICAL
SYSTEM THAT SAID CERTAIN PEOPLE
CAN'T RUN FOR OFFICE WE WOULD
SAY THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS.
IT DENIES SOMEBODY THEIR DUE
PROCESS.
THERE IS A CERTAIN LEVEL WHERE
IT REACHES A CIVIL RIGHTS
VIOLATION IF YOU WILL OR DUE
PROCESS RIGHT WHICH IS WHAT HE
IS ARGUING.
>> NOW, IF BLAGOJEVICH IS
SUCCESSFUL IN THIS CIVIL RIGHTS
COMPLAINT, THE QUESTION OF
WHETHER VOTERS WOULD EVER TAKE
HIM BACK IS ANOTHER ONE
ENTIRELY.
BLAGOJEVICH SAYS HE IS RUNNING,
WELL, AS IN JOGGING.
HE HAS LONG BEEN A JOGGER BUT HE
IS NOT RULING OUTRUNNING FOR
OFFICE IN THE FUTURE.
SO HE SAYS HE HAS NO PARTICULAR
PLANS TO DO SO.
>> I HAVE NO PLANS TO RUN FOR
ANY PARTICULAR OFFICE.
THE IDEA OF DOING THAT AGAIN, IS
REALLY IS AN UNHAPPY THOUGHT IN
MANY WAYS IT IS A HARD BUSINESS
AND HARD ON YOUR FAMILY.
AND WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY
IS DIFFICULT.
IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE SPECIFIC
PLANS HOWEVER I'M NOT GOING TO
RULE OUT OPTIONS.
I WAS A GREAT GOVERNOR FOR THE
PEOPLE I DID THINGS FOR PEOPLE.
>> BUT DURKIN SAYS HE STANDS BY
THE PREVIOUS GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S
ACTIONS SAYING THEY WENT OUT OF
THEIR WAY TO CROSS THEIR T'S
WITH THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS AND
ALSO TO PROTECT FUTURE
ILLINOISIANS FROM BLAGOJEVICH.
>> WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD
IDEA.
WE HAVE ILLINOIS HAS A LONG
HISTORY OF CORRUPTION AT THE
HIGHEST LEVELS WITH GOVERNORS.
AND WE ARE NOW WE'VE PASSED A
LAW BACK THEN WHICH WE SAID
ENOUGH'S ENOUGH THAT WE WERE
WORRIED ABOUT A GUY LIKE ROD
BLAGOJEVICH WHO IS IS SUCH AN
EGO MANIAC THAT HE WOULD
CONTINUE TO FIGHT HIS
CONVICTION.
>> DURKIN SAYS THAT BLAGOJEVICH
IS AND ALWAYS WAS A SHOWMAN AND
HE SUSPECTS THIS IS JUST ANOTHER
WAY FOR THE FORMER GOVERNOR TO
GET BACK IN THE LIMELIGHT AFTER
MAYBE SOME OF THE MEDIA
ATTENTION HAS WORN OFF.
AND THAT MAY WELL BE WHAT THIS
IS ABOUT.
ABC HAD A LOT OF CAMERAS AT THE
PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE THAT
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE AND A CREW
MEMBER SAID THAT IS IN
ANTICIPATION OF A DOCUMENTARY ON
BLAGOJEVICH SET TO AIR THIS
FALL.
AND THIS GIVES THEM EXTRA
FOOTAGE AND CONTENT.