CHICAGO (CBS) — Three years after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich filed a lawsuit searching for to overturn the ban on him ever operating for state or native workplace once more, a federal decide issued a blistering ruling on Thursday, quoting Dr. Seuss in telling Blagojevich to easily “go away.”
“Learn typically Dr. Seuss, Marvin Okay. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! (1972) (‘The time has come. The time has come. The time is now. Simply Go. Go. GO! I do not care how. You’ll be able to go by foot. You’ll be able to go by cow. Marvin Okay. Mooney, will you please go now!’),” U.S. District Choose Steven Seeger wrote in his ruling throwing out Blagojevich’s lawsuit.
Blagojevich served almost eight years of a 14-year jail sentence on corruption costs earlier than his sentence was commuted in February 2020 by then-President Donald Trump. Months later, he filed a federal lawsuit claiming his elimination from workplace by the Illinois Senate following his 2009 impeachment trial was unconstitutional, and searching for to permit him to run for state or native elected workplace in Illinois.
“Blagojevich did not have a sleek exit from public life. It was disgraceful. And by the look of issues, it wasn’t even an exit. As a result of Blagojevich needs again within the sport, and again on middle stage, microphone in hand,” Seeger wrote.
Seeger pulled no punches in ruling Blagojevich’s lawsuit was “riddled with issues.”
“If the issues are fish in a barrel, the grievance incorporates a whole college of tuna. It’s a target-rich atmosphere. The grievance is an Problem-Recognizing Wonderland,” Seeger wrote.
Seeger wrote that legislatures have the only real authority over impeachment proceedings, and the separation of powers prevents courts from interfering.
“It doesn’t take a lot interpretative detective work to determine that the judiciary has no seat on the desk,” Seeger wrote.
Whereas Seeger mentioned some states enable courts a level of latitude to evaluate impeachment proceedings, he mentioned Blagojevich gave no motive to imagine Illinois is without doubt one of the states that will enable judicial evaluate.
“There is not quite a lot of case legislation in Illinois. The truth is, there is no case legislation. And for good motive. In its 205-year historical past, the Illinois Basic Meeting has impeached, convicted, and eliminated one public official: Blagojevich,” Seeger wrote. “The straightforward actuality is that federal courts haven’t any position to play in relation to a state impeachment. The state legislature determined to take away Blagojevich from public life, and it isn’t the place of a federal court docket to carry him again.”
Noting Blagojevich held a press convention outdoors the Dirksen Federal Constructing earlier than submitting his lawsuit, Seeger mentioned the previous governor was primarily utilizing the courthouse for a “publicity stunt.”
“He needs again. However he is already gone. Case dismissed,” Seeger wrote.
