The governor of the US state of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, says he will not resign over allegations he tried to sell the vacant Senate seat of the president-elect Barack Obama for cash or a plum job.
In his first official statement since being arrested on corruption charges last week, the governor told reporters he had done nothing wrong.
He said he will answer every allegation in court.
Governor Blagojevich (Democrat) was arrested on 9 December in what prosecutors called a "political corruption crime spree".
As governor, he has sole responsibility for choosing the successor in the Senate for the President-elect.
The fate of the seat is in limbo. Democrats who control the state legislature have refused to call a special election.
Mr Blagojevich, who had not previously spoken publicly about the charges, has vowed to clear his name.
In a statement read to reporters in Chicago on Friday, he said the accusations have been made by what he termed a "political lynch mob".
