With an Illinois House committee launching an impeachment inquiry Tuesday - to determine whether to recommend a state Senate trial for Gov. Rod Blagojevich's ouster - the scandal-plagued could be the first governor of Illinois to be impeached.

The committee, comprising 12 Democrats and nine Republicans, is expected to hold several weeks of hearings, looking at the governor's questionable activities over the years, including last week's charge that he tried to sell the US Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Seeking information from the US attorney's office, along with information gained from other parts of the federal investigation, the committee, working through the holiday season, may issue subpoenas and compel witnesses to testify; and finally determine whether impeachment is the best approach against the governor.

Fox News was informed by the House Speaker, Michael Madigan, Blagojevich's defense attorney, Ed Genson, will appear before the committee on Wednesday. Madigan also said that it is unclear how long the impeachment process will take.

A lengthy impeachment process could be a distraction as Obama announces Cabinet nominations and tries to lay out an agenda for dealing with the recession and other crises, after his January 20 inauguration.

Meanwhile, Gov. Blagojevich has denied doing anything wrong and refused calls from within his own party to resign. His lawyer Genson said Tuesday that they would fight the charges. Genson said: "The case that I've seen so far is significantly exaggerated. It's not what people think it is."