 The conversation between Burris and the former governor's brother
occurred while Blagojevich was still governor and before he named
Burris to President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.Burris
has been under intense scrutiny because of the circumstances of his
appointment by the disgraced former governor and for changing his
story multiple times about whether he promised anything in exchange
for the appointment.
The Senate Ethics Committee has begun a preliminary
investigation. The Sangamon County state's attorney is determining
whether perjury charges are warranted.
U.S. District Judge James F. Holderman on Tuesday unsealed a
government motion requesting permission to release to the committee
some wiretap material gathered in the Blagojevich investigation.
The material consists of a conversation between Burris and the
impeached governor's brother, businessman Robert Blagojevich, who
headed the Friends of Rod Blagojevich campaign fund.
Rod Blagojevich is charged with scheming to trade or sell the
seat and using the political muscle of his office to squeeze people
for campaign money. Robert Blagojevich is under indictment along
with his brother and a number of other members of the ousted
governor's inner circle. Both brothers deny wrongdoing.
Holderman told attorneys for Robert Blagojevich, Burris and the
government that "the material will be released to the Senate
shortly."
Robert Blagojevich attorney Michael Ettinger and Burris attorney
Timothy Wright did not object to the government's motion.
"I think that the senator has told the truth every time," Wright
said. He acknowledged that his client had told the impeachment
committee that he didn't volunteer to raise money for Blagojevich in
exchange for the seat.
"And we think he has been perfectly consistent," Wright said.
Burris spokesman Jim O'Connor said the senator would cooperate
and "welcomes this as a chance for more transparency and the
opportunity for the full truth to come out."
The Sangamon County state's attorney's office said it had no
comment on the status of its review of possible perjury charges
against Burris.
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Burris testified before the House committee that impeached
Blagojevich in January that he didn't promise anything in exchange
for the Senate seat.
Blagojevich appointed Burris just before being kicked out of office.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid, D-Nev., agreed to seat Burris if he gave a full accounting of
his Blagojevich contacts to the Illinois House committee that was
considering impeachment of the governor.
Burris gave the committee an affidavit denying any discussion
with Blagojevich's aides before being offered the seat. But when he
testified, Burris acknowledged talking to one of Blagojevich's
friends and informal advisers about it.
Burris did not admit talking to anyone else and said he could not
recall any other contacts.
Then, after he was sworn in, Burris released another affidavit
acknowledging he had talked to several Blagojevich advisers about
his interest in the seat. Soon after, talking to reporters, he said
he had been asked to help raise campaign money for the governor and
that he tried to find people willing to donate but failed.
Then he stopped answering questions, letting others speak on his
behalf.
Durbin said it would be unfair to speculate about what's in the
recorded conversation between Burris and Robert Blagojevich.
"Let's wait until the transcript is released, the tape is
released. If there's a problem, let Sen. Burris address it," Durbin
said at an unrelated news conference in Chicago.
[Associated Press;
By MIKE ROBINSON]
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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