Blago hit up Burris for cash

[kpete]

Source: Sun Times

Blago hit up Burris for cash
EXCLUSIVE | In his third sworn version of events, senator confirms pitch for donations

February 14, 2009
BY NATASHA KORECKI AND DAVE MCKINNEY Staff Reporters

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother solicited U.S. Sen. Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Blagojevich named Burris to the coveted post -- something Burris initially failed to disclose under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel, records and interviews show.

Burris (D-Ill.) acknowledges being hit up for the money in a new affidavit he has sent to the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich be removed from office.

The affidavit is dated Feb. 5 -- three weeks after Burris was sworn in to replace President Obama in the Senate.

Burris -- who did not give money to the Blagojevich campaign fund in response to the previously undisclosed solicitation -- provided a copy of the sworn statement to the Chicago Sun-Times Friday in response to questions about his contacts with the Blagojevich camp about fund-raising.

Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1431222,CST-NWS-blago15.article

[On the Road]

1. What a Disappointment --

I thought this was about Plaxico Burress.

:P

[kanrok]

2. Considering the Bears could use Plaxico

I share your disappointment.

[Kolesar]

3. Glen Greenwald noted that if Blago was a "Washington Insider" he would have survived

But his influence peddling was that of a midwestern rube so he got no support and was left to be impeached by the Illinois legislature.

[No Elephants]

4. THIRD SWORN version of events? Throw this guy out.

[Bette Noir]

5. Perjury anyone?

[Botany]

6. Time for Mr. Burris to leave the senate

Burris (D-Ill.) acknowledges being hit up for the money in a new affidavit he has sent to the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich be removed from office.

The affidavit is dated Feb. 5 -- three weeks after Burris was sworn in to replace President Obama in the Senate.

[tritsofme]

12. I won't be able to vote for that man.

I really hope he gets his head chopped in the primary, because there is no chance in hell I will cast my vote for Roland Burrris.

[EFerrari]

9. Are you kidding? He fits right in. n/t

[IsItJustMe]

15. Time for a lynching yet?

:sarcasm:

I am sure the Republicans love your logic anyway.

[Pavulon]

31. Who would accept a recommendation from a tainted gov?

only a moron. The guy is lying scum and now may be guilty of perjury. Will see how this all shakes out.

[IsItJustMe]

32. Would you spend large quantites of time in the Senate impeaching the guy? It is what it is. The

guy is in there and something tells me that he is not going to resign. With that being said, why carry water for the Republicans. If the Republicans want to go after him, which they are and will, there is no need for Democrats to help them by piling on at this moment.

And I hate to say it, but I have followed Burris for a while, and I think he is actually one of your more honest politicians.

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

7. I wish I could say I'm surprised

At least Burris didn't give him the money.

[McCamy Taylor]

8. If Burris never lied then there is no problem now. Being solicited is not a crime.

So, show me where he lied or stfu.

[Burma Jones]

10. He stated he had no contact with any of Blago's people

back in his January testimony and then released an affidavit saying otherwise. While maybe not "actionable" it is very very sleazy.

Senator Reid was correct in wanting to refuse to seat any Blagojevich appointee, now Burris is just another ethics problem for Obama to have to deal with not only as President but as the head of the Party.

[IsItJustMe]

16. It's all relative. I would not use that poll vault stick to jump over to many mouse turds if I was

you.

[Robbien]

11. Anyone having even a remote contact with Blago has been hit up for cash by Blago

That is a given.

So what's the beef here?

[w4rma]

17. Burris wasn't upfront with the information. He held it back until just recently.

And the better qualified, more ethical potential choices who actually helped in the investigation got passed over for Burris.

[Robbien]

19. Well

But everyone in politics in Illinois has been asked to donate to Blago. Being asked to help out Blago is SOP. Burris wasn't asked to donate in exchange for the seat. He was asked to help out Blago just as every Illinois pol is asked.

He didn't lie. He was asked if Blago asked for something in exchange for the appointment and he said no.

[nolabear]

13. Next Up: Leopards Still Have Spots!

I mean, really...

[armodem08]

14. Ruh-Roh... Blago lives...In the media's mind at least. nt.

[Dappleganger]

18. This is terrible, but not surprising.

There's something about Burris that has never sit well for me.

[NashVegas]

20. That's Nothing. Paterson Got $600k From Gillibrand's People

[Hissyspit]

21. Burris Says Blagojevich's Brother Sought Donation

Source: Reuters

Burris says Blagojevich's brother sought donation

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Roland Burris, named to fill the Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama, has disclosed he was asked for campaign contributions on behalf of the ousted Illinois governor who eventually appointed him.

Burris said in an affidavit released on Saturday he did not agree to contribute money to then-Governor Rod Blagojevich. But he did not mention the contacts when quizzed on that point in January by a committee of the Illinois Legislature after his appointment on December 30.

Media reports in Chicago said some Republicans in the Legislature planned to call on prosecutors to open an investigation of the Democratic senator.

The appointment of Burris, a former Illinois attorney general, was controversial because Blagojevich, facing impeachment, was under pressure by leading fellow Democrats to let his successor make the choice.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090215/pl_nm/us_blagojevich_burris

[rwheeler31]

22. This is a mess and the media will run with it.

Anyone know the truth?

[Richard Steele]

23. Burris seems to be as mind-fucked & CROOKED as Blagoyevich.

Any way I look at it, there just ain't no way in HELL
that man is fit to hold a seat.

[Oldtimeralso]

24. I Believe That Burris Should Go Quietly Into The Night

and let the new IL Gov. Quinn appoint his replacement.




edit for spelling

[barb162]

25. Hmm,

I heard 10,000 was the figure, not very much at all for a US Senate seat, if you're selling them. :eyes:

[AngryAmish]

30. That is only from Burris personally

His people had to raise a lot more.

Heck, a regular circuit judgeship is $35,000 these days in Cook County.

If you want a judgeship and have been a lawyer for 13 year AND have $35,000, then you can be a judge. It is common knowledge.

[Hawkeye-X]

26. Hey Burris - Resign now, if you have any decency...

So Quinn can fill someone more appropriate than a jackass like yourself.

[MrModerate]

27. I'm not so sure Burris has done anything wrong . . .

Pols hit each other up for donations all the time. Burris told the brother to take a hike. I'm not well acquainted with the nature of the testimonial requirements of the Illinois legislature, so I'm not prepared to make him walk the plank over this nondisclosure.

He's in, and if he turns out to be a loser (which will be evident fairly soon), start looking for a dem to replace him in 2010.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. And There's No Evidence He Paid Anything

Being asked for money isn't a crime. Failing to mention that someone asked for money even though there were no "strings" attached isn't either.
GAC

[Psephos]

33. What he did wrong was "forget" the conversations with Blago's bro under oath during testimony

He perjured himself.

Not cool.

[MrModerate]

34. Was he required to do so under the rules of the interview? n/t

[Psephos]

35. Yes... and furthermore, his Jan. 5 affidavit (a sworn document) contradicts his new affidavit

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/08/burris-admits-he-reached_n_156421.html

Time has a decent overview:

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/02/15/sen-roland-burris-a-liar-or-just-a-fool/

Or just go here and take your pick:

http://news.google.com/news?q=burris+legislature+testimony&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&ei=NLKYSZrVEeCbtwfZma20Cw&sa=X&oi=news_result&resnum=4&ct=title

And if you want to see for yourself how credible Burris' current explanation is (he claims he wasn't offered the chance to fully answer the question), here's the full transcript. The transcript does not support his explanation, which means he's still fudging and fibbing.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blago/2009/02/was_burris_forthcoming.html

WTF? He's either a clueless tool or corrupt.

[davsand]

29. AGAIN we see how Illinois and several of our politicians differ from the rest of the nation.

We have an Illinois pol who has three different SWORN versions of a story. That could be seen as "problematic" in a courtroom--perjury is the term I think a prosecutor might apply. Yet we folks from Illinois are talking about and focusing on the fact that it is SOP to get solicited for "contributions."

We are all SO accustomed to being lied to by elected officials in this state it is just part of the landscape and it goes unremarked a lot of the time. Is it any wonder that in this state being active in politics is seen by a lot of the people as being one step removed from being a criminal or (best case) a used car salesman?

:shrug:


Laura