State official says Blagojevich may step aside Monday

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) may give up his seat on
Monday, according to the state’s attorney general.

“We have heard that there is a possibility that tomorrow
he will make an announcement that he will step aside,” Lisa Madigan said Sunday
on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

{mosads}Madigan said she was not certain whether that meant that
Blagojevich would resign or temporarily remove himself from office – an option
outlined in the Illinois state constitution that would allow him to continue
getting paid his current salary.

“I have heard as well that that is one of his main
concerns is his financial circumstances right now,” Madigan said.

Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday for allegedly attempting
to sell President-elect Obama’s vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder. The
Illinois general assembly is scheduled to meet in a special session on Monday
to discuss the governor’s fate.

Madigan would not reveal whether she was aware of any
additional charges in the criminal complaint filed against Blagojevich, saying
only that her office has been involved the entire time.

“What I can tell you is that our office has been involved
in providing assistance and information to federal law enforcement authorities
all along,” she said.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn agreed with Madigan,
saying that it was imperative that Blagojevich step aside.

“He’s got to do something because our state is in
crisis,” Quinn said.

Both Madigan and Quinn said they support a special
election to fill the Senate seat, though Quinn emphasized the need to have an
interim senator in place until such elections can take place.

“I am concerned that we always have two senators from
Illinois representing us in Washington and I think it’s very important that whoever
is governor get an opportunity to appoint at least a temporary person until an
election can take place,” Quinn said.

Former federal judge Abner Mikva, who has been advising Madigan
on the case, said he also supports a special election, as opposed to appointing
someone to the seat, but that it would prove costly and timely.

“The only problem with a special election is it’ll be
some time before that’s resolved,” Mikva said on Fox News Sunday. “It won’t be
until April that we finally have a senator from Illinois. It’ll cost the
taxpayers money.”

Madigan said she was neither considering running for the
Senate seat nor accepting the position, if it was offered to her.

“At this point that’s not even on my radar screen, we’re
trying to move the state ahead in these really troubling times,” Madigan said. “I
haven’t even thought about [being offered the Senate seat] and I don’t plan on
thinking about it for probably a while unfortunately.”