Lisa Madigan (D)
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline)- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Friday made the unprecedented move of petitioning the state Supreme Court to remove embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office, saying he is unfit to serve.
The attorney general is seeking a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to oust Blagojevich "due to disability," and appoint Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn as acting governor, court papers indicate.
"I recognize that this is an extraordinary request but these are extraordinary circumstances," Madigan said during a news conference in downtown Chicago.
Explaining her move, the attorney general said she wants to ensure Illinoisans have a governor who can "legitimately fulfill the duties of that office."
The Democratic governor was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiracy and soliciting bribes. He is accused of seeking to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
Madigan had pressured Blagojevich to resign on his own. In a bevy of television appearances, the attorney general said the governor was incapable of leading the state amid his indictment.
On Friday, Madigan, a former state senator, urged legislators to move forward with impeachment proceedings against the two-term governor.
From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.