Sen. Roland Burris Slapped By Senate Ethics Committee
Lynn Sweet
Correspondent
Posted:
11/20/09
Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) was slapped by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics on Friday for his changing and misleading stories about how former Gov. Rod Blagojevich came to appoint him to fill President Obama's Senate seat. In a letter, the panel concluded Burris'
actions "reflected unfavorably on the Senate."
Burris, who decided not to seek election in 2010 for the seat, was the subject of probes by the Sangamon County Illinois State's Attorney and in the Senate about the circumstances leading up to his appointment. In June, the Illinois prosecutor found there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Burris with perjury.
The Burris investigations were an outgrowth of a corruption probe of Blagojevich, who was impeached last January and is now facing a federal trial. Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell Obama's Senate seat and a variety of schemes and shakedowns for campaign contributions.
Though the Senate panel reprimanded Burris in a letter made public Friday, a Burris statement said he was cleared of "legal wrongdoing" and that he was "pleased that after numerous investigations, this matter has finally come to a close."
The letter, signed by the six members of the Senate ethics panel chaired by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), found "after an extensive investigation, the Select Committee on Ethics is issuing you this Public Letter of Qualified Admonition for actions and statements reflecting unfavorably upon the Senate in connection with your appointment to and seating in the Senate.
"The Committee found that you should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading, or incomplete information to the public, the Senate and those conducting legitimate inquiries into your appointment to the Senate," the letter said.
After Blagojevich was arrested last December -- a month after Obama was elected president and vacated the Senate seat he won in 2004 -- Democratic leaders in Washington and Illinois, including Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), implored the tainted Blagojevich not to pick Obama's replacement.
Burris, a former Illinois Attorney General and Comptroller in political retirement, took the appointment, triggering an uproar in the Senate over whether he should be seated. In a compromise, Senate leaders agreed to seat Burris if he testified before the Illinois House of Representatives' Blagojevich impeachment panel about the circumstances leading up to his appointment.
The Senate panel found "your sworn affidavit and sworn testimony before the Illinois House of Representatives were inconsistent, incomplete and misleading." The Jan. 5 affidavit Burris signed said he never had contact with Blagojevich or any his representatives about the appointment. It turned out that Burris was heard on a wiretap talking to Robert Blagojevich, the brother of the governor, about fundraising for the governor. The panel found that conversation was "inappropriate."
"While the Committee did not find that the evidence before it supported any actionable violations of law, Senators must meet a much higher standard of conduct."
Burris has had an icy relationship with Durbin as a result of the controversy. In a statement issued Friday, Durbin said the admonition "speaks for itself."
"When we met with Roland Burris in January, we made it clear that in order for him to be seated in the U.S. Senate he needed to appear before the Illinois General Assembly to testify openly, honestly and completely about the nature of his relationship with the former governor, his associates and the circumstances surrounding this appointment," Durbin said.
"Since then, the accuracy and completeness of his testimony and affidavits have been called into question. The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee has completed its review into this matter and found that Sen. Burris' actions have brought discredit on him and the Senate. The letter of qualified admonition from the Ethics Committee speaks for itself."
actions "reflected unfavorably on the Senate." Burris, who decided not to seek election in 2010 for the seat, was the subject of probes by the Sangamon County Illinois State's Attorney and in the Senate about the circumstances leading up to his appointment. In June, the Illinois prosecutor found there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Burris with perjury.
The Burris investigations were an outgrowth of a corruption probe of Blagojevich, who was impeached last January and is now facing a federal trial. Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell Obama's Senate seat and a variety of schemes and shakedowns for campaign contributions.
Though the Senate panel reprimanded Burris in a letter made public Friday, a Burris statement said he was cleared of "legal wrongdoing" and that he was "pleased that after numerous investigations, this matter has finally come to a close."
The letter, signed by the six members of the Senate ethics panel chaired by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), found "after an extensive investigation, the Select Committee on Ethics is issuing you this Public Letter of Qualified Admonition for actions and statements reflecting unfavorably upon the Senate in connection with your appointment to and seating in the Senate.
"The Committee found that you should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading, or incomplete information to the public, the Senate and those conducting legitimate inquiries into your appointment to the Senate," the letter said.
After Blagojevich was arrested last December -- a month after Obama was elected president and vacated the Senate seat he won in 2004 -- Democratic leaders in Washington and Illinois, including Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), implored the tainted Blagojevich not to pick Obama's replacement.
Burris, a former Illinois Attorney General and Comptroller in political retirement, took the appointment, triggering an uproar in the Senate over whether he should be seated. In a compromise, Senate leaders agreed to seat Burris if he testified before the Illinois House of Representatives' Blagojevich impeachment panel about the circumstances leading up to his appointment.
The Senate panel found "your sworn affidavit and sworn testimony before the Illinois House of Representatives were inconsistent, incomplete and misleading." The Jan. 5 affidavit Burris signed said he never had contact with Blagojevich or any his representatives about the appointment. It turned out that Burris was heard on a wiretap talking to Robert Blagojevich, the brother of the governor, about fundraising for the governor. The panel found that conversation was "inappropriate."
"While the Committee did not find that the evidence before it supported any actionable violations of law, Senators must meet a much higher standard of conduct."
Burris has had an icy relationship with Durbin as a result of the controversy. In a statement issued Friday, Durbin said the admonition "speaks for itself."
"When we met with Roland Burris in January, we made it clear that in order for him to be seated in the U.S. Senate he needed to appear before the Illinois General Assembly to testify openly, honestly and completely about the nature of his relationship with the former governor, his associates and the circumstances surrounding this appointment," Durbin said.
"Since then, the accuracy and completeness of his testimony and affidavits have been called into question. The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee has completed its review into this matter and found that Sen. Burris' actions have brought discredit on him and the Senate. The letter of qualified admonition from the Ethics Committee speaks for itself."