SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The purse strings are starting to tighten for criminally charged Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with the state attorney general refusing Thursday to sign off on state funding for his legal defense and federal officials apparently poised to freeze his campaign funds.

Meanwhile, Blagojevich's attorney argued to Illinois lawmakers that it may be illegal for them to use federal wiretapped evidence in their impeachment proceedings. Those lawmakers on Thursday lambasted top Blagojevich administration officials, alleging that last year's constitutional showdown over health care expansion was an example of abuse of power by the governor.

Blagojevich, accused of trying to auction off President-elect Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat and other crimes, faces federal corruption charges in Chicago and impeachment proceedings in Springfield. He remains free on a signature bond after his arrest last week.

Blagojevich's attorney says federal prosecutors are trying to freeze the Democrat's campaign fund. Attorney Ed Genson says the political fund Friends of Blagojevich received a letter from federal prosecutors this week that indicates their intent to try to freeze its money.

Blagojevich's last campaign finance report shows the fund had $3.6 million as of June 30. Freezing that money could have major implications for Blagojevich, who in the past has routinely drawn from the fund for legal expenses related to the long federal investigation that culminated in his arrest last week.

On Thursday, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan rejected what she said was a request from Genson that the state pay for the governor's defense in both his federal criminal case and his impeachment case.

"It is absurd to suggest that taxpayers must finance the defense of a criminal action against Governor Blagojevich who is accused of corruptly betraying the public trust for personal and financial gain," Madigan chief of staff Ann Spillane wrote to Genson. She added that the impeachment proceeding doesn't qualify for state legal defense because it isn't a court action.

Genson said later that he wasn't asking for state payment in the criminal case: "It just appeared to me that Lisa Madigan had an obligation, at least in these proceedings, to defend the governor. She chose not to."

Impeachment proceedings are delving beyond criminal charges into political and constitutional conflicts that have rocked state government in the last few years.

In a hearing punctuated by shouting and sarcasm, lawmakers accused administration officials of illegally implementing Blagojevich's major expansion of a state health care insurance program last year even after the Illinois House unanimously voted it down and declined to fund it.

The House ended its work for the week Thursday afternoon and will reconvene Monday morning.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.