Another ethical slip by Burris. Please God, let him survive the Democratic primary.
Burris Says He Was Asked to Donate to Campaign
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 14, 2009
CHICAGO (AP) — Senator Roland W. Burris, Democrat of Illinois, has disclosed that he was asked for up to $10,000 in campaign donations by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother before he was appointed to the Senate to succeed Barack Obama by Mr. Blagojevich, according to a published report.
Mr. Burris did not make the donation, The Chicago Sun-Times reported on its Web site on Saturday.
Mr. Burris gave the newspaper a copy of a sworn statement about the campaign cash solicitation, which he had sent to the head of the Illinois House impeachment committee.
He told the newspaper he sent the affidavit, dated Feb. 5, a week after Mr. Blagojevich was impeached, to State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie when he realized his testimony before the committee she headed was not complete.
“There were several facts that I was not given the opportunity to make during my testimony,” Mr. Burris said. “I voluntarily submitted an affidavit so everything was transparent.”
Ms. Currie, reached by The Associated Press on Saturday, said that she had received Mr. Burris’s statement but that she had not had time to compare it to his testimony.
Mr. Burris said he had three discussions with the former governor’s brother, Robert Blagojevich, who led the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund. The conversations took place after Mr. Burris expressed interest in the Senate seat vacated by Mr. Obama to associates of the governor.
Mr. Burris said that he rejected the requests for money and that he “made it unequivocally clear” that “it would be inappropriate and pose a major conflict because I was interested in the Senate vacancy.”
The Republican leader of the State Senate, Christine Radogno, said Mr. Burris should have disclosed the solicitations earlier to the impeachment committee and to the United States Senate.
“If it turns out this was some sort of attempt to avoid this coming out as part of the appointment process, then he doesn’t deserve to be senator,” Ms. Radogno told The Sun-Times. “I think the whole thing stinks to high heaven.”
Mr. Burris was appointed to the Senate in December by Mr. Blagojevich, a fellow Democrat who was removed from office Jan. 29.
nytimes.com |
