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Burris Blames State Impeachment Panel For Not Asking About Wiretapped Call
May 29, 2009 9:09 a.m. EST
  
     
     
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Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor
 
Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) is blaming the special Illinois state committee that handled the impeachment of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for the controversy surrounding the his phone conversation with Blagojevich's brother, a wiretap of which was released this week to the U.S. Senate.
Burris is facing a Senate Ethics probe about the circumstances of his appointment and an investigation by the Sangamon County state's attorney on perjury allegations.
Appointed to the Senate last December by Blagojevich, Burris was sworn into office on Jan. 15, more than a week after members of the 111th Congress took the oath of office because Democrats initially tried blocking his nomination.
Testifying before the state impeachment committee had been one of the requirements laid out by Democrats before he could be seated, and he had testified that there had been no quid pro quo involved in his nomination.
But he submitted an affidavit to the special panel in February saying Blagojevich's brother had called him three times to ask for help in fundraising, information he had not revealed during his testimony. Allegations of perjury and calls for resignation erupted at the time, and were re-ignited this week, when a judge allowed a wiretap of a phone conversation between Burris and Blagojevich's brother to be released.
In the call, Burris says, "It has so many negative connotations that Burris is trying to buy an appointment... I'm trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment... if I do that I guarantee you that, that will get out and people said, oh, Burris is doing a fundraiser and, and then Rod and I both gonna catch hell..."
He adds, "I know I could give him a check... And, and my law partner we were gonna try to do something at the law firm. I might be able to do this in the name of Tim Wright...."
Burris has responded to the wiretap's release by saying it proves he was concerned about making a contribution to Blagojevich. He also says he did not donate any funds after the call.
The 71-year-old senator's answers as to why he did not disclose information about the call have been less clear, until Thursday, when he faulted the special state committee for not asking him about it.
"You all have got it all backwards," Burris told reporters, according to the Chicago Tribune. "It is not upon a person who is testifying to go out of his way on anything. It is the person who has to ask the questions...Why didn't the impeachment committee follow up with the questions to ask me?"
The argument was rejected the same day by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), who had required Burris' testimony along with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).
''Back in the old days when I was just a lawyer, I knew how to get a witness ready for testimony,'' Durbin told the Chicago Sun-Times. ''You say to them, 'Listen carefully. Don't say anything more than you have to. Make them ask every single question so you don't get carried away and say too much.' "
Illinois state Reps. Jim Durkin, a Republican, and Jack Franks, a Democrat, have renewed their calls for Burris' resignation.
But perhaps the most succinct criticism of all is the one made by the Illinois Republican Party. On Thursday, it posted a a copy of the phone recording on its website, making a simple statement out of the embattled senator's wiretapped comments.
Blagojevich was impeached on Jan. 29 after a unanimous vote from the 59 members of the Illinois Senate.
He was indicted on April 2 on 16 felony counts, including racketeering conspiracy and extortion conspiracy, along with his brother, Rob, former chief of staff Jonn Harris, associate Alonzo Monk, and fundraisers William Cellini and Christopher Kelly. He is accused of trying to sell the old Senate seat of President Barack Obama.
 
 
 
  
  
    
      
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