A Brief History
On January 29, 2009, Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich was successfully impeached by the state legislature and booted from office for the crime of soliciting appointment as the replacement as US senator for President-elect Obama. Blagojevich was convicted and served eight years in prison for his crime. About 18 governors have suffered sexual scandals or criminal charges resulting in being forced from office.
Digging Deeper
Spiro Agnew of Maryland, while serving as Vice President was charged with taking bribes and kick backs while Governor of Maryland and became the second US VP to resign in 1973.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell resigned in 2014, and with his wife was convicted for conspiracy to commit fraud.
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber was compelled to resign in 2015 due to his fiancée using her connections to enrich herself and her private clients.
Note: Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is currently facing a scandal of the sham purchase of a lectern.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Brackett, Elizabeth. Pay to Play: How Rod Blagojevich Turned Political Corruption Into a National Sideshow. Ivan R. Dee, 2009.
Hunt, Keel and Lamar Alexander. Coup: The Day the Democrats Ousted Their Governor, Put Republican Lamar Alexander in Office Early, and Stopped a Pardon Scandal. Vanderbilt University Press, 2017.
The featured image in this article, a photograph depicting from left, Judy Baar Topinka, State Treasurer, Representative John Shimkus, Representative Ray LaHood, Representative Lane Evans, Senator Barack Obama, Senator Dick Durbin, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Governor Rod Blagojevich, is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.
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