Blagojevich remains defiant

CHICAGO – Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois said Friday that he “has done nothing wrong” and will not resign in the face of federal corruption charges.

“I will fight. I will fight. I will fight until I take my last breath,” he said. “And I’m not going to quit a job that people hired me to do because of false accusations and a political lynch mob.”

Blagojevich, however, did not get into the specifics of the political corruption charges he faces, saying he’s “not going to talk about this case in 30-second sound bites … on the TV news.”

“I am dying to answer these charges. I am dying to show you how innocent I am,” he said.

“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 said.

Blagojevich read a statement and did not take questions at a news conference.

After Blagojevich left the room, two of his attorneys stepped up to answer questions.

A combative Sam Adam Jr. dismissed the charges against the governor as thinly supported and said prosecutors did not provide enough information for the governor or his attorneys to respond to specifically.

Adam portrayed Blagojevich as focused on health care and other policy issues that would help Illinoisans.

He said his partner in the case, lawyer Ed Genson, would answer the federal government’s charges. “He’ll worry about the criminal part,” Adam said of Genson. “The governor will continue to govern.”

Asked how Blagojevich can govern if he is besieged by calls to resign and by federal prosecutors, he said the governor would determine how long he can remain effective.

“If the people of Illinois are suffering, he will step aside,” Adam said.