Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has said he has done nothing wrong and would not resign in the wake of charges he tried to sell the US Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
'I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,' Mr Blagojevich told reporters in his first comment on the charges since his arrest last week.
'I intend to stay on the job. I will fight, I will fight, I will fight.'
'I'm not going to quit a job the people hired me to do because of false accusations and a political lynch mob. I'm dying to answer these charges. ... I intend to answer every allegation that comes my way ... in the appropriate forum -- a court of law,' he added.
His defence left in limbo the fate of the seat that Mr Obama resigned after he was elected president last month.
The governor's lawyer said this week that Mr Blagojevich would not exercise his power under state law to fill the US Senate vacancy.
Democrats who control the state Legislature have refused to call a special election and instead started an impeachment proceeding that could take weeks, if not months, and might result in Mr Blagojevich's removal from office.
The Senate seat will likely be vacant when the new US Congress convenes in January.
Democrats now hold 57 of the 100 Senate seats, with the fate of a Minnesota seat now held by a Republican undecided pending a recount.
Gov Blagojevich, 52, has been under pressure from political figures, including Mr Obama, to resign since his arrest on charges of scheming to trade political favors for personal gain. He has not been indicted.
Mr Blagojevich and his chief-of-staff, John Harris, were charged on 9 December with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery.
