Emanuel will resign House seat Friday

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) will resign his congressional seat Friday in preparation to become chief of staff to President-elect Obama, his congressional office announced Monday.

Emanuel, a Democrat who has represented Illinois’s 5th congressional district since 2003, informed Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) that he would resign his seat four days before new members are to be sworn in. His resignation will trigger a special election.

{mosads}“I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the hopes and dreams of a quintessentially American district,” Emanuel said in a statement released by his office Monday, “from hardworking families to new immigrants to the senior citizens who built this country.”

Emanuel’s new role has come under intense scrutiny since the arrest of Blagojevich on charges that include seeking to sell Obama’s Senate seat because of contacts Emanuel had with the governor and his aides about who should replace Obama.

There has been no indication that Emanuel participated in the alleged “pay-for-play” scam. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the FBI captured 21 tape-recorded conversations between Blagojevich’s office and Emanuel. But the Obama team’s official internal investigation reported only “one or two” contacts with Blagojevich and four with the governor’s chief of staff, John Harris, who has also been charged.

Emanuel and Blagojevich reportedly talked about Emanuel’s House seat during their conversation.

Emanuel was elected to a fourth term in November, getting 74 percent of the vote. Until he resigns, he’ll remain eligible to get sworn in on Jan. 6, like everyone else who triumphed in the 2008 elections.

The timing of that expected resignation has been a subject of speculation since Obama announced his selection for the top staff job on Nov. 7. Emanuel never drew a paycheck from Obama’s transition operation.

Emanuel has occupied a unique position as an elected official leaving for a staff job. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and other Cabinet nominees from Congress have indicated they aren’t inclined to step down until they’re confirmed by the Senate.

But those Cabinet nominees legally cannot play a role in their departments until they are confirmed. Emanuel, on the other hand, is already on the job, though he’s also still a lawmaker.

Still, Emanuel gave his farewell to the House Democratic Caucus on Nov. 18 (along with a $100,000 campaign contribution and a promise of $500,000 from Obama). House Democrats have already chosen his replacement as chairman of the Democratic Caucus — Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.).

Emanuel skipped the Nov. 19 vote on who should chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee, along with all floor votes in the lame-duck session. His last vote was before the election, on Oct. 3.