By Michael Conlon and Andrew Stern
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.
The Democratic-controlled House voted 114 to one, with another legislator voting present, to impeach the two-term Democrat. That clears the way for a trial in the state Senate, where conviction by more than two-thirds of its members would result in his removal from office.
Rep. Barbara Currie, a Chicago Democrat who headed the inquiry committee that recommended impeachment, told the House that Blagojevich had betrayed the public trust, "a public servant who has chosen not to serve the public ... who has betrayed his oath of office ... who is not fit to govern."
A trial in the state Democratic-controlled Senate could begin on January 26, two weeks after the next legislature takes office, said a spokesman for Sen. John Cullerton, a Democrat who will lead the body.
Because a new session of the House begins next week, members will have to repeat Friday's impeachment vote when they convene. Approval was considered automatic.
The Senate will then have to arrange a trial, overseen by the chief justice of the state supreme court, which Cullerton's office predicted could last until mid-February.
Blagojevich has denied any wrong-doing. He issued a statement on Thursday saying the impeachment proceedings "were flawed, biased and did not follow the rules of law ... When the case moves to the Senate, an actual judge will preside over the hearings, and ... the outcome will be much different."
Only a handful of governors have been impeached in U.S. history, none until now in Illinois. The last governor to be impeached was Arizona Republican Evan Mecham in 1988.
The charges against the 52-year-old governor cited a wide range of abuses involving political favours, including charges brought by federal prosecutors that he tried to sell Obama's vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder. He has rejected demands that he resign, and prosecutors have not yet produced an indictment.
Blagojevich last month defied Obama and U.S. Senate leaders by filling the vacant seat anyway, appointing Roland Burris, a former Illinois attorney general.
Senate leaders at first rejected Burris but under pressure from Obama later said they would seat him. The remaining obstacle to that happening appeared to be a ruling by the state supreme court on whether the Illinois secretary of state can be forced to sign off on the appointment.
(Additional reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago and Thomas Ferraro in Washington, editing by Vicki Allen)