CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) - The brother of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich solicited Sen. Roland Burris, D-Illinois, for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Burris was named to his Senate seat, according to Burris staffers and an affidavit obtained Saturday by CNN.
However, in the affidavit, Burris said he refused to contribute to Blagojevich or to assist in fundraising for him.
Burris' appointment by Blagojevich was hotly disputed, as Blagojevich is facing corruption charges. Prosecutors' allegations against him include that he attempted to sell the Senate seat, vacated by President Barack Obama upon his election, to the highest bidder. He was ousted from office last month by Illinois lawmakers.
In his January 8 testimony before an Illinois House impeachment panel, Burris, the former Illinois attorney general, said he had no conversations with Blagojevich about his desire to be appointed to the seat prior to Blagojevich's December 9 arrest. Burris also said that he was not aware of any "quid pro quo"
with the former governor.
"I can for this committee state that there was no legal, personal or political exchange for my seat," Burris said.
From CNN Politics
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This does not surprise me at all.
Why should he be any different than any other politician? Obama bought the White House, Pelosi bought her seat by raming down the American people's throat with her PET MOUSE PROJECT!
And I bet that if someone really looked into Burris's financial situation, they would see that in fact Burris did buy his Senate seat.
Yikes! That is another nail in the coffin of Rod's hopes of setting things straight. Poor Blagojevich! Misfortunes come like avalanche!
Well he did say 'I ain't gots no money!'. I guess he was telling the truth.
So apparently Burris lied.
He is now seated.
So goes the nation.
I'm done with this story.
LORDY, LORDY, LORDY...... this is WHY Sen. Reid tried to BLOCK this man's appointment. Burris FAILED to mention that he was solicited by Blagojevich's BROTHER!!! Are you kidding me?
HOW can you state there was NOT improprieties regarding YOUR appointment, when the Governor himself is clouded by corruption for trying to SELL a Senate Seat?
SHAME ON YOU MR. BURRIS, your deceptive act has proven to be a big RED FLAG against you.
God,...I am so sick of these corrupt politicians!!!!! I am sure he did pay the 10K under the table. Burris staffers came forward or it would be still be unknown! Pffttt! Being from IL it makes me sick!
Don't you just love this CHANGE? Now that the Democrats are in control of D.C., we are going to see a level of corruption this country has never seen before.
CNN, where did you get that quote? I would like to see because I watched those hearings and distinctly remember him saying that he spoke to an aide. Are you leaving out the full context? I also remember commenting on this before because the form he completed for Harry Reid before his testimony had said he had no contact.
Ken, you know not what you talk about, but that is nothing knew with your republican nuts.
Now pay attention: This is why your party lost.
The GOP will bite on anything to make the dems look bad, but the people are looking for results. Ken respond to the news, not what you think the news will be. This way you can speak from facts and not what you wish would happen. For example I am sure the GOP has 4 more years before it is disbaned to make way for a 3rd party. But I will hold of on making such a statement until it happens.
Ken, get over it. Your fellow republicans in Congress and Bush Administration were all on the take for 8 years, maybe you, too. You seem to have all the answers. By the way, have you seen the Stimulus Plan and seen the Pet Mouse Project or listened to FIX News!
BLAGO, u DA MAN, i don't care what the wonks and the pols say, KEEP FIGHTING THE SYSTEM!!!!!
Gov. Rod Blagojevich should not fret; Obama probably put a few million dollars in the spending stimulus bill to cover incidentals like this.
Ken, stop making things up. You know there is no Pet Mouse Project in the bill. Go the the Fox news site and do your ranting. That is where you get your delusional information anyway.
Hmm,. wonder how the stimulus would have done if Burris hadn't been around to vote for it.
Heh.
Bush's daddy and Haliburton paid for the stolen 2000 election Ken.
Ken are you Rush Limbaugh on here trolling? Looking for Viagra?
Also why would he accept an appointment from someone that asked him for a bribe? Pretty sleazy even "if" he did refuse.
if Honest man Fitzerald NO catch blago obama will make him US treasury
Shouldn't this have come out before he took the Senate seat?
Former Gov. Blagojevich' story will remain a case study for political observers as we continue to learn more about his desire to sell anything for money either directly or indirectly. The fact that Roland Burris is coming out to say this at this time is a clear indication that there is more than the public may ever know about the many sales that Blagojevich may have carried out during his time as goernor of Illinois. I will not be surprised if at some point in time it is discovered that Blagojevich kept a secret bank account overseas. Only time will tell.
Ken, you and the Drudge Report know nothing. There are no earmarks. Why don't you go to the house website under appropriations and comb through for a pet mouse project. There is none. No mouse habitat. In fact the bill was drafted free of the earmark process. EPA and Department of the Interior gets the money. All departments get month for projects approved a long time ago that are "shovel ready". No pet mouse project. It's better to read and get your facts straight before proving you know nothing.
This is exactly why Reid and the rest of the Senate leadership should have refused to seat this man.
OK IN HIS OWN WORDS MONEY WAS HIS OPENING HOPE IN THE
NOMINATION PROCESS. HE IS BLACK AND A DEM-WY NOT THE
PERFECT CHOICE. ONE MORE VOTE FOR OBAMAS DEMS IN SUB-
VERTING AMERICA. NO MATTER HOW GOOD HIS MOTIVE MY HAVE
BEEN TO BE A SENATOR,IT WILL ALWAYS LOOK LIKE A LACKEY
APPOINTMENT BY A THIRD PARTY-SORT OF LIKE THOSE WHO
SUPPORT MEDICARE AS SUPPLEMENTS AR A PRICE.
RETIRED VET IN NH--ONE OF MANY THAT PAY WAY
MORE FOR THEIR BENIFITS THAN THOSE WHO GET THE SAME
COVERAGE WITHOUT PAYING A DIME. CONGRESS IN ACTION!!!
FOOLS THAT HAVE IT ALL FOR FREE WHILE REAL CITIZENS TAKE
AT HIT FROM THEIR EMPTY POCKETS. WE HAVE NO SAY IN GOV.
THOSE FOOLS GAVE THEM SELVES A 20.000 DOLLAR RAISE AS
WALL STREET KIDNAPPED OUR RETIREMENTS FOR RANSOM.
WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AS WELL. SOMTHING DOES'NT RING
RIGHT IN ALL OF THIS-MAYBE I JUST SEE IT MORE CLEARLY.
GOOD LUCK FROM A VET SOLD OUT IN NAM-–NH