Ethics panel still looking at Burris
POLITICS | State's junior senator is nearly gone but he's not being forgotten when it comes to Blago scandal
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris might be a lame duck, but the Senate's ethics committee isn't letting him out of its sights.
Two sources close to Burris say the junior senator from Illinois has yet to dodge the ethics bullet that stems from apparent inconsistencies in his sworn testimony to the Illinois House panel that drafted impeachment charges against ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. State lawmakers have been questioned, even after Burris' July announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2010.
(John J. Kim/Sun-Times)
State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) confirmed he was among those questioned but said he could not elaborate. "I was interviewed by the lawyers for the Senate ethics committee," he said.
The matter is contributing to a legal tab for Burris that already has topped a half-million dollars. At the same time, Burris -- whom the ex-governor appointed to fill President Obama's seat after Blagojevich's arrest in December -- continues to represent a crucial 60th vote in the Senate, where Obama's health-care initiative hangs in the balance.
Burris announced on July 9 he would retire from the Senate when his term expires next year. After that announcement, representatives of the Senate ethics panel continued their questions about Burris' Jan. 8 testimony to the House impeachment panel.
Those queried included some Statehouse leadership as well as members of the House impeachment committee, three sources with knowledge of the inquiry told the Sun-Times.
The Senate launched its ethics probe in response to a Feb. 14 Chicago Sun-Times report that revealed Burris gave varying statements under oath regarding his contacts with Blagojevich's camp. The story indicated that Burris failed to disclose substantive fund-raising discussions with the ex-governor's brother until after Burris was sworn in as a U.S. Senator.
Burris then filed an affidavit amending his testimony. The written testimony, however, did not indicate that Burris promised to write a check to Blagojevich before he was arrested.
Sources said questions posed on behalf of the ethics panel centered on whether there were disparities between Burris' oral testimony and the sworn affidavits he submitted to the panel. There also were questions about a secretly recorded conversation between Burris and the former governor's brother -- a conversation later made public.
The interviews took place about a month after Burris' announcement that he wouldn't seek re-election.
Investigators asked whether Burris should have disclosed to the panel additional information revealed in the recording between Burris and Robert Blagojevich, the fund-raising chair for his brother, Rod. The answer by at least one of those questioned was "yes."
In late May, the U.S. Attorney's office released to the ethics committee the conversation between Burris and Robert Blagojevich. In the November 2008 call, Burris is heard lobbying for the Senate appointment while promising to donate to Rod Blagojevich. Burris tells Robert Blagojevich he didn't want an appearance of a quid pro quo. At one point, Burris proposes donating to Rod Blagojevich in the name of his law partner.
"God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod," Burris says on the recording. "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 was arrested Dec. 9. Burris never made the contribution and says he never intended to. But he did not initially disclose the conversation to the impeachment panel.
Melanie Sloan, the executive director from the Washington-based group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said Burris could face everything from acquittal to a written censure to expulsion. She said the continued probe -- despite Burris' announced retirement -- is important so Illinois residents can get answers about what happened.
"Being under investigation for lying to get the Senate seat goes to the heart of our Democracy," Sloan said.