SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich's lawyer claimed to score a victory Monday when he received extra time to prepare a defense for the embattled governor. | Obama to release review on Blagojevich contacts | Gov.'s brother hires lawyer

Facing the 21 members of an Illinois House impeachment committee, attorney Edward Genson asked for a weeklong delay in the hastily arranged hearings in order to arrange for witnesses to appear on Blagojevich's behalf.

Panel members agreed and now will not meet again until after the Christmas holiday.

Genson told reporters that the break will slow down the "rush to judgment" that's been under way since the governor's Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges.

Blagojevich, 52, was caught on federal wiretaps allegedly scheming to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat. The criminal complaint also alleged he attempted to shake down people for campaign contributions.

The allegations set off a political firestorm in which nearly all of Blagojevich's colleagues called on him to resign. Lawmakers who have openly warred with the governor over everything from the state budget to his plans to close prisons and state parks formed a committee to investigate whether to impeach him.

On Friday, the second-term Democrat from Chicago announced he would fight the charges and not step down. His next court date is Jan. 14.

The House panel on Monday heard more testimony about Blagojevich's alleged misdeeds as chief executive, including trading campaign donations for expensive building leases, state jobs and positions on boards and commissions.

Prosecutors say Blagojevich ramped up his fundraising operation in anticipation of a new reform law designed to make it harder for him to collect big ticket contributions from state contractors.

Cindy Canary of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform told the impeachment committee that her research shows that many contributors who gave Blagojevich more than $25,000 received something in return.

"This appears to me to be far beyond coincidental," Canary said.

Genson said much of the testimony he's heard over the 13 hours of hearings is based on hearsay about the governor's alleged misdeeds.

"There are no facts here. All we have are inferences," said Genson.