The scandal-plagued Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was impeached on Friday by the Illinois legislature - the impeachment being the first of its kind in the history of the state. The House vote, 114-1, has set the stage for a trial in the state Senate - beginning January 26 - which could convict Blagojevich and show him the way out of the office.

Though the number of votes required for impeachment was 60 votes, the final tally in the House resulted from the accusations of the legislators that Blagojevich had let down the people of Illinois, allowing his ego and ambition to drive his decisions.

The vote, coming exactly a month after Blagojevich's arrest, took much less time than expected - the 90-minute debate saw no legislator rising in defense of the governor. The governor's decision to defy the legislators' wishes, of a replacement for the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, apparently speeded up the proceedings against him.

With at least 60 votes required to impeach, the tally in the House far exceeded that, as legislators accused Blagojevich of letting down the people of Illinois by letting ego and ambition drive his decisions.

Even though Blagojevich has not been convicted of any crime, Representative Jack D. Franks, a fellow Democrat, said about the impeachment: "It's our duty to clean up the mess and stop the freak show that's become Illinois government."

Meanwhile, an audacious Blagojevich reiterated that he had not committed any crime, saying: "I'm going to fight every step of the way."