Questions on his testimony led to perjury, ethics probes

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris' decision not to run for election in 2010 caps a tumultuous six months for the Chicago Democrat that began with his jaw-dropping appointment by a criminally charged governor and was punctuated by his controversial testimony before a state panel.

Burris' varying sworn testimony before the state impeachment committee -- revealed by the Chicago Sun-Times -- led to a U.S. Senate ethics probe, a state perjury investigation, as well as numerous calls for his resignation.

And all of that happened since Dec. 30.

•  •  The appointment. Just weeks after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on charges he tried to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, Blagojevich does the unthinkable: He appoints someone anyway. At a news conference, a smiling Burris says he's free of any Blagojevich taint. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) urges the state to accept Burris, saying the nation needs an African American in the Senate.

•  •  Taking the seat. The Senate initially refuses to seat Burris, but facing a legal challenge, Democratic leaders relent, saying they're only asking that Burris testify truthfully before a state panel weighing Blagojevich's impeachment.

•  •  Impeachment panel. Burris testifies before the impeachment panel Jan. 8, where he is specifically asked to detail the members of Blagojevich's camp with whom he had discussions before his appointment and the nature of the discussions. Burris mentions the governor's ex-chief of staff, Lon Monk. He doesn't bring up any fund-raising talk and later says no one followed up with him. On Jan. 15, Burris is sworn in.

•  •  Sun-Times investigation. On Feb. 14, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Burris gave varying statements under oath regarding his contacts with Blagojevich's camp and did not reveal substantive fund-raising discussions with the ex-governor's brother until after he was sworn in as senator. In response to questions by the newspaper, Burris reveals that he mailed the impeachment committee a Feb. 4 affidavit to supplement his testimony. The affidavit, first made public in the news report, reveals Burris discussed the Senate appointment with four Blagojevich insiders, including the ex-governor's brother, who headed the campaign fund. Burris tells the Sun-Times that Robert Blagojevich asked him for a donation but Burris says he "made it unequivocally clear . . . that it would be inappropriate and pose a major conflict because I was interested in the Senate vacancy."

•  •  Burris responds. A day after the report is published online, Burris holds a nationally televised news conference where he says: "I've always conducted myself with honor." The next day, the Sun-Times reveals the feds had contacted Burris about sitting for an interview.

•  •  State/U.S. Senate probes: Incensed Republicans accuse Burris of misleading the committee under oath and call for a perjury investigation, which is taken up by a Downstate prosecutor. A U.S. Senate ethics probe is launched and Gov. Quinn and numerous other politicians, as well as the Sun-Times and Tribune, call for Burris to resign. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says he advised Burris to quit.

•  •  The tapes. The FBI interviews Burris at his lawyer's office, where they play an audio recording of a secretly taped phone call between Burris and the ex-governor's brother, Robert. In late May, a federal judge publicly releases the tape, causing another headache for Burris. "God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod," Burris says on the tape. "Number two, I also wanna, you know hope I get a consideration to get that appointment." Burris ends the call with a promise to write a check to Blagojevich before Dec. 15. Blagojevich is arrested Dec. 9. Burris never makes the contribution and says he never intended to.

•  •  No perjury charge. On June 19, a Downstate prosecutor ultimately declines to pursue perjury charges, saying some of Burris' statements were vague but wouldn't support a charge.

•  •  Postscript. Burris' short stint in the U.S. Senate will not lead to another pension. He would have to serve five years in a federal post before qualifying for a federal pension.