The corruption-tainted governor of Illinois was expected to appoint a replacement Tuesday to the senate seat of president-elect Barack Obama, a source close to the governor told AFP.
A defiant Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to sell the seat to the highest bidder, was expected to name former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris, 71, to the seat, the source said on condition of
anonymity.
Senate leaders warned they would not seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich after he was arrested December 9 on fraud and bribery charges linked to FBI wiretaps in which he allegedly discussed ways to
profit from the appointment.
Blagojevich's lawyer had said the Democratic governor would not try to fill the seat and supported a special election to fill the vacancy.
But a battle was underway among state lawmakers over the special election, with Republicans accusing Democrats of blocking the necessary legislation out of fear they could lose the seat.
Burris is not thought to be among the six candidates discussed by Blagojevich in the FBI wiretaps and could satisfy Blagojevich's critics.
Burris was the first African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois when he won the office of state comptroller in 1983.
He held that job until he became the second African American in the United States elected to the office of attorney general in 1991.
He ran, unsuccessfully, in 1984 for the Democratic nomination for the same senate seat to which he will be appointed and went on to serve as vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 to 1989.
Burris, who served as vice chair of Blagojevich's transition team, currently runs a political consulting firm in Chicago and serves as a senior attorney at a Wisconsin law firm.
Burris has also made Ebony magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential African-Americans 16 times.
Blagojevich, who has vehemently maintained his innocence, scheduled a press conference for 2000 GMT.
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