Washington: The Illinois House of representative today voted to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich, accused of selling the Senate seat vacated by the President-elect Barack Obama.

The House passed the motion of impeachment by 114 votes to one.

Now the State Senate will decide whether he should be removed from office for corruption and abuse of power.

Just a day earlier a 21-member House investigative committee probing the matter unanimously made a recommendation to that effect. The committee had cited a "pattern of rampant abuse" of power.

Blagojevich, who was arrested by the FBI last month and released later on, has vowed to fight. His spokeswoman said the Governor would not resign.

This is the first time in Illinois's 190-year history that a Governor has been impeached, despite the State longstanding reputation for political corruption.

Source : PTI