Audio of Rob Blagojevich, Burris wiretaps released
The audio recording of a secretly wiretapped conversation involving Sen. Roland Burris may have been released to the public Wednesday -- but that wasn't the first time Burris heard it.
He got his own private screening in March -- from the feds.
(Sun-Times/AP)
The FBI interviewed Burris at his lawyer's office shortly after he suffered a media firestorm because of his evolving sworn testimony to an Illinois House impeachment panel. The FBI played tapes of Burris' conversations with Robert Blagojevich during the interview, Burris' lawyer Timothy Wright told the Chicago Sun-Times.
"They wanted to know what he knew," Wright said. "They wanted to know if there was pay-to-play."
"I don't know if they knew the history, if they knew if Burris raised money before," Wright said. "They were looking at everything."
Wright said the FBI told Burris from the outset he was not a target.
The Nov. 13 conversation with Robert Blagojevich was made public after a U.S. Senate ethics panel asked for it. The panel is probing whether Burris gave misleading statements under oath about his Senate seat appointment.
Rod Blagojevich appointed Burris after he was arrested on charges of trying to sell President Obama's Senate seat.
A Sangamon County prosecutor has launched a probe into whether Burris committed perjury. Burris did not initially disclose his contacts with Robert Blagojevich and others. In a Feb. 4 affidavit he submitted to supplement his oral testimony to the impeachment panel, he said of his discussion with Robert Blagojevich: "I mentioned the Senate seat in the context that I could not contribute to Gov. Blagojevich."
Burris did not disclose what's on the recording: that he made a promise to send the governor a check by Dec. 15. Burris said he didn't write the check because he thought it was improper. Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9.
Burris said Wednesdy the tape shows he has been truthful all along. Robert Blagojevich's attorney, Michael Ettinger, welcomed the audio disclosure, saying it shows there was no quid pro quo. "I want the world to hear my client and how he conducts himself," Ettinger said.