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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Who cares? Glad he got in and too bad Blago is out.
tell the true and let the devil be ashame
@Ken
What kind of delusional person are you?
"bought the white house"? Well, only if you are referring to buying it with the legitimate votes of the electoral college...
"bought a seat" by ramming a pet project down people's throats? How does any of that make even an inkling of sense?
Perhaps you need to learn how our political system works.
At the very least, you need to remove your head from the place you store in.
just blame the dumb "Obamatons" who actually elected the "speech-in-an-empty-suit"– Change? Not so much!
Obama knows about all this stuff going on. Something like this will be his Watergate. The Dems and Repubs are cut from the same cloth.
Vote 3rd party next time – start locally – question authority.
Marcia,
Learn how to spell. You just prove that Democrats are dumb and Republicans are smart.
Burris should be fired, he stated NO ONE Approched him for donations. What a joke and this give a blackeye to everything the president is trying to do.
CA: You have been out of touch. This is just Chicago Politics at it's best. Has nothing to do with the republicans. These are all democrats. The little o is one of them.
Ken, you are a typical republican!
Ken are you so narrow minded that you do not remember that your God GW Bush bought the white house when running again't Gore?
hmmmm ... very deceptive on the part of Burris.
While saying that he had no prior contact with the former governor before his selection, maybe correct... I wonder if saying that he 'is not aware of any quid pro quo' was thruthful.
Another example of corrupt democrats, but when there ship starts sinking then people will see everything with the economy was not President Bush.
Marcia - explain what Burris lying about prior contact with Blago's team has to do with losing an election? It's now clear from his Affidavit that he did have such contact (unless you think Ken invented the Affidavit and the whole CNN story on it). So what's your point?
Burris will lose his reelction...he hasnt won an office since 1990 or something like that.
Just more crooks. No surprise there.
So what is the punishment for perjury in the US of A? Burris for President.
He is African-American and he is a Democrat.
Marcia: Do you finally understand why people hate liberals? Look at the language of your email and compare it with the other articulated ones.
Btw, did you also leave the country when GWB won the presidency twice. I mean most liberals were so humiliated that they crossed borders. Republicans are more sturdy and intelligent. They don't run away from from problems. They stand up and fight.
Slimy politicians are slimy. And political. Just like sewage, scum rises to the top.
From what I can see, Burris did nothing wrong so why are some of you up in arms?? Pay attention.
@ Lucy
Who cares? Me and everyone around me.
WE are his constituents.
Are you one?
Then you have NO right to say anything about his nomination, especially claim 'no one cares' and think you can speak for all his Illinois constituents. People like you make people like John here, who ironically states republicans look smart (ha), actually seem like they know anything about what they talk about.
Burris didn't replace Blago, which for some reason you seem to think he did.
Sure, I'm positive that's what happened..................
@ Jan
You realize Obama has NOTHING, zero, nada, zilch to do with Burris' nomination OR Blagojevich?
God. People outside of Illinois who put in their two cents about this never EVER know what they're talking about. Please stop making the people of this country look sooo bad and uninformed.
Funny how he only tells this, now after he has taken his senate seat....
Ken and Anna: I suppose we could say that every candidate "buys" their position because it does take large, and ever increasing, sums of campaign funds to run every campaign. Bush, Clinton, Reagan – they all did the same. So, I don't know what's the point of suggesting that one candidate purchased the White House, Senate, etc. without recognizing that every candidate must raise outrageous amounts of money. Until we find a better way of funding and limiting the cost of campaigns, this will never change.
As for the mouse project, anyone who fails to recognize the connection and value of wetlands, and the creatures that keep them balanced, is a fool. We're paying $millions and $millions to restore wetlands because of the damage to shrimp, crab, oyster, etc. harvests and the threat to our own existance! That's because we polluted them and destroyed the balance. That's definitely an economic issue!
In my opinion America should be taking a middle progressive road towards the future. I am a moderate and I don't care whether they are a Republican or Democrat or whatever, if they do something wrong they should be ousted out. During the Republican control of Congress and the Presidency, if the GOP did something wrong or if one of their number did something wrong they were nailed by the media and the people for what they had done, there should not be a double standard for Democrats either. Blago was found guilty by the Illinois Legislature and I agree with them, he did try to sell the seat and he should pay the consequences for doing what is WRONG! Enough of this partisan politics that only divides us as Americans, we need to get back to WRONG vs. RIGHT! If someone does something right they should be praised for it, if they do something wrong they should be punished for it. Bush did a LOT of things wrong and he should be punished for it, but so should Blago and we as Americans should stop being flip flops ourselves and start going towards progress through what is right! Glad Blago is out, glad Bush and Cheney are out, and hope that ANYONE that does anything wrong be ousted out.
kick him out. Let the new IL gov appoint a senator that is not tainted by Blago.