The Senate Ethics Committee, chaired by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is opening a preliminary probe into Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) and his seeming misleading statements about events leading up to his appointment by ousted Gov. Blagojevich to the Senate seat vacated by President Obama.
“Whenever allegations of improper conduct are brought to the attention of the Senate Ethics Committee, we open a preliminary inquiry,” Boxer Communications Director Natalie Ravitz said Tuesday. […]
A Senate probe could take months.
So, let’s see, he’s been a US Senator for about a month and a state’s attorney is already investigating him for possible perjury charges. The US Senate is launching a preliminary ethics investigation. Plus, the Illinois Republicans are refusing to stop pressuring the Democrats to reactivate the House impeachment committee so that Burris can testify again. And certain types are even suggesting that the Illinois House Dems deliberately sat on Burris’ latest affidavit until after the federal stimulus bill was safely passed. Watch for that last one to get more play, but it’s probably the most dubious of all, and wouldn’t have impacted the vote. It might’ve been a gigantic distraction, but he’d still be a Senator.
Anyway, this has to be some kind of a record.
Congratulations, Senator!
*** 6:23 pm *** This also has to be a new record. One month in office and a major newspaper calls for his resignation….
There’s only one honorable action for Burris: resign.
By the way, the Tribune editorial also asked…
Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan says Sangamon County prosecutors should look into this. But she’s the attorney general. Where’s the announcement of an investigation by her own office?
Under Illinois law, state’s attorneys have jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute violations of the vast majority of criminal laws, including the perjury law. The Attorney General’s office does not have jurisdiction to investigate these allegations or a grand jury to use in conducting that investigation.
The AG’s office is a weird little entity. So far, politicos have been reluctant to give it more power. Various AGs fought for years just to get a statewide grand jury for drug kingpins, for example.
UPDATE: The slam on AG Madigan has now been removed from the editorial.
*** 7:12 pm *** The Tribune’s new favorite congressional candidate follows suit…
Statement from Commissioner Mike Quigley, candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 5th Congressional District.
“Roland Burris’ failure to be honest and upfront with the people of Illinois should disqualify him from service in the United States Senate.
“He should resign, immediately.
“The Illinois legislature should work with Governor Quinn to pass legislation immediately setting up a special election empowering the people of Illinois to have a voice in this matter and allowing us all to finally turn the page on this sad chapter in Illinois politics.”
*** 7:15 pm *** I was saving this for tomorrow, but what the heck. From a letter sent by David Orr…
…Naturally, any nominee can play word games, a verbal hide-and-seek with the truth. But your silence in this matter is subterfuge, not gamesmanship. No Americans or Illinois voters nor your colleagues in elective office should have to suffer through more episodes in this unseemly drama. We deserve a clean break with the embarrassing Blagojevich era. This is not merely a legal issue; it is a moral issue.
I have supported you in the past as a colleague and as a friend. But today I ask you to step down and let the people of Illinois move forward into a new era of good governance.
Sincerely,
David Orr
Cook County Clerk
* 10:56 pm - Rep. Susana Mendoza thoroughly guts Burris on Chicago Tonight…
* 12:18 pm - From a press release comes still more info on this fast-breaking story…
Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan today referred several documents associated with U.S. Senator Roland Burris and his testimony last month before the Illinois House Special Investigative Committee to Sangamon County States Attorney John Schmidt.
Speaker Madigan also sent a letter to Schmidt which began “Pursuant to our telephone conversation today…” So, this is obviously more than just a blind referral. More in a bit.
* 12:29 pm - Speaker Madigan’s spokesman just said that Madigan did not specifically ask for an investigation of Burris’ statements. Instead, Madigan simply told Schmidt that the documents were on the way.
*** 2:12 pm *** It appears that the House impeachment committee won’t be reconvened…
House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office… said it will not reconvene to hear any further testimony from Burris.
I’m told that the above excerpt does, indeed refer to the impeachment committee.
*** 2:34 pm *** Madigan’s spokesman just clarified a point with me. Some have wondered whether Schmidt asked for the material or whether it was offered up by Madigan.
“We initiated the referral,” the MJM spokesman said.
Also, Schmidt has just issued a press release…
Today, the Sangamon County State’s Attorneys Office received from the Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan’s office documents concerning U.S. Senator Roland Burris’ testimony before the Illinois House Special Investigative Committee.
The matter is under review by this office.
* 3:02 pm - State’s Attorney Schmidt just confirmed that Madigan initiated the referral.
Schmidt, by the way, said he would only do “news” interviews, but will not appear on commentary-type cable TV shows. Good for him.
* 4:24 pm - From the attorney general…
Under Illinois law, state’s attorneys have jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute violations of the vast majority of criminal laws, including the perjury law. The Attorney General’s office does not have jurisdiction to investigate these allegations or a grand jury to use in conducting that investigation. The Sangamon County State’s Attorney has jurisdiction to conduct this investigation and prosecute if necessary.
I encouraged the Sangamon County State’s Attorney to take a closer look at this in the interest of truth, integrity and transparency, and I am pleased to learn that State’s Attorney Schmidt is reviewing the issue in an effort to fully understand all the facts related to this matter.
* 12:08 pm - Yet another deviation from the story by Sen. Roland Burris…
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has acknowledged he sought to raise campaign funds for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the request of the governor’s brother at the same time he was making a pitch to be appointed to the Senate seat previously held by President Barack Obama.
Burris’ latest comments in Peoria Monday night were the first time he has publicly said he was actively trying to raise money for Blagojevich. Previously Burris has left the impression that he always balked at the issue of raising money for the governor because of his interest in the Senate appointment.
In comments to reporters after appearing at a Democratic dinner, the senator several times contradicted his latest under-oath affidavit that he quietly filed with the Illinois House impeachment panel earlier this month. That affidavit was itself an attempt to clean up his live, sworn testimony to the panel Jan. 8, when he omitted his contacts with several Blagojevich insiders.
* Here’s the relevant portion of the press conference transcript…
“So some time shortly after Obama was elected, the brother called. And now in the meantime, I’d talked to some people about trying to see if we could put a fund-raiser on. Nobody was—they said we aren’t giving money to the governor. And I said, ‘OK, you know, I can’t tell them what to do with their money.’”
“So when the brother called me back, I said, ‘Well, look Rob…I can’t raise any money from my friends. I said, maybe my partner and I, you can talk this over and see, could we go to some other people that we might be able to talk to that would help us out if we give–because we give a fund-raiser in the law office, nobody going to show up. We’ll probably have a thousand dollars for you or something to that effect.’”
“Oh, by the way, in that first conversation with him (Rob in October), so that part is where I raise a question about the Senate seat with him. But no other time do we talk about the Senate seat. So then we came back, and when he called me back the third time, because I went to talk to my partner, and we then assessed the situation and said, ‘Look, you know, I’m interested in the Senate seat. I can’t raise any money for him.’ And so he called me back and I told him back and I told him that. I said, ‘No. 1, I can’t raise any money for you and I can’t give you any money because I don’t want to have a conflict.’ I mean, that should give some indication of my commitment right there to get out of pay to play and they’re still trying to tie me in to pay to play.”
* From Burris’ second sworn affidavit is this conversation with Robert Blagojevich…
In one of the other conversations (I believe the last one), I mentioned the Senate seat in the context of saying that I could not contribute to Governor Blagojevich because it could be viewed as an attempt to curry favor with him regarding his decision to appoint a successor to President Obama.
No mention that Burris actually tried raising money and couldn’t.
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris said today he is open to a Senate ethics investigation into how he got the Senate seat from ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and that he has reached out to a Sangamon County prosecutor who is reviewing Burris’ sworn testimony before Illinois lawmakers.
* John Fritchey’s new TV spot is certainly one of the more entertaining ads of the season…
…Adding… Notice how Fritchey appears to be blaming Mike Quigley for the hit on Feigenholtz that she asked George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich for jobs. That was a Fritchey slam.
…Adding More… As two three people from two three different campaigns have now pointed out to me via e-mail, Fritchey’s ad looks an awful lot like an ad his media guy did for another campaign. Watch the other ad here. No big deal, but figured I’d pass it along since my pals were so insistent.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Feigenholtz responds via an e-mail to supporters…
I have some sad but predictable news.
Some of my so-called reform-minded opponents have turned to old-school political tricks in this election. Rather than discuss the biggest challenges our nation faces in a generation - a stalled economy and a crumbling health care system - my opponents are content to resort to Karl Rove-style mud slinging.
I need your help to fight back against my opponents’ negative attacks. Please contribute $150 today to allow me to fight back.
Heh.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
Unlike most other candidates, Fritchey and Feigenholtz are the only ones with any real points behind their TV ads. Charlie Wheelan has some eye-catching ads, but he has done a poor job of even attracting Intertube interest in them. Mike Quigley is concentrating on direct mail.
* Fritchey, by the way, is starting to take some heat for objecting to the second question of this excerpt during the House impeachment committee hearing…
REPRESENTATIVE DURKIN: Okay. At any time were you directly or indirectly aware of a quid pro quo with the Governor for the appointment of this vacant Senate seat?
MR. BURRIS: No, sir.
REPRESENTATIVE DURKIN: Okay. If you were
aware of a quit pro quo, what would you have done?
The question was a bit silly, but I’m betting that Fritchey would probably like to take back his comments now…
REPRESENTATIVE FRITCHEY: Madam Chairman, if I may, Mr. Burris had already stated that he was not aware of any quid pro quo, which answers that question and puts it to rest. What his response would have been had there been something, which he stated did not occur, is clearly irrelevant to this, and according to Mr. Burris, to speculate on something that would have happened if another situation had happened which he clearly says has not.
That may explain this press release which just landed in my in-box…
State Representative John Fritchey (D-Chicago), a candidate in the upcoming Special Primary Election for Illinois’ 5th Congressional district vacancy, announced that, if elected, he will work toward the passage of a constitutional amendment requiring special elections in the case of any vacancies in a United States Senate seat. Rep. Fritchey’s statement comes as controversy continues to swirl around the recent appointment of Sen. Roland Burris by impeached former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
…Adding… The Trib’s site now has a story about this Burris/Fritchey thing, but there ain’t much new stuff in it.
The FEC requires candidates to report contributions of more than $1,000 within 48 hours in the final weeks leading up to an election. According to those reports, Feigenholtz raked in the most, $43,550, of the candidates in the race.
That’s far ahead of everyone else and brings her total raised to about $600,000. Not bad at all.
* Speaking of money, this is probably no big deal if Feigenholtz is telling the truth…
Controversial lobbyist Al Ronan has surfaced in the heated 5th Congressional District race, making a $500 campaign contribution to Democratic candidate Sara Feigenholtz in December.
“Al Ronan is an old friend of mine. He’s not really involved in the campaign, he just made a contribution because he’s someone I called,” Ms. Feigenholtz said.
Asked whether he’s providing her with advice as well, Ms. Feigenholtz said, “If you know anything about Al Ronan, all he has is advice. I’ve known Al for 30 years.”
Ms. Feigenholtz’s aides insist Mr. Ronan has no formal role in the campaign.
* Keep in mind that voters probably won’t just wander into the polls and cast their ballots for whatever name looks good. This is a special election, so they’ll have to be motivated to vote. The stories listed below in the “Related” section about “too many candidates” don’t really matter because there will likely be few barely interested voters at the polls.
[Bumped up, updated with “Related” links and comments opened for your enjoyment.]
*** UPDATE *** Giannoulias’ office just called and said that the treasurer is paying for the trip out of his own pocket, not campaign funds, not state funds.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* Sen. Dick Durbin is on what had been billed as a government-sponsored economic development trip to Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Guess who’s traveling with him? From The Hill…
Durbin is traveling with Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat first elected in 2006 who has taken initial steps toward running for Burris’s Senate seat in 2010
A week ago, Burris said that Giannoulias would be a “formidable” candidate if he ran for Senate. Durbin also met with Giannoulias during the treasurer’s latest trip to DC to talk about building his possible Senate campaign.
President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) met on Monday US Senator to Illinois Richard Durbin and Illinois State Finance Minister Alexi Giannoulias.
No statement has been released about the meeting.
Durbin and Giannoulias are currently in the island to have talks about the solution of Cyprus question.
US Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the “No. 2″ Democrat in the US Senate, will visit Athens next Wednesday for talks with Bakoyannis. He will be accompanied by Illinois State Treasurer Alexis Giannoulias.
The talks are expected to focus on Cyprus, the situation in the Balkans, Greece’s OSCE chairmanship and international issues, such as Middle East, Koumoutsakos stated.
“The visit is interesting and important, and takes place shortly after the inauguration of the new US President,” Koumoutsakos said.
The US delegation will also visit Nicosia, Ankara and Istanbul.
It seems undeniable that Durbin is now helping Giannoulias with his foreign policy chops. State treasurers don’t usually get that sort of experience on their own, of course.
I’ll leave it to the proper investigative bodies to decide whether Roland Burris committed perjury last month in testimony before the Illinois House impeachment committee. From a strict legal perspective, maybe he didn’t.
But I’ll tell you straight up, our new U.S. senator proved himself to be a lying little sneak. […]
The problem is that if he couldn’t tell the whole truth previously, why should anybody believe he’s telling the whole truth now? I don’t.
I’m not saying he did anything improper in pursuit of the appointment. I’m just saying there’s no reason at this point to accept his denials that he didn’t. Maybe we’re still not asking him the questions the right way to suit him.
* Brown’s column today goes beyond the House Republican claims that Burris evaded Rep. Jim Durkin’s questions at the House impeachment hearing to something I also pointed out to subscribers this morning. GOP Rep. Jil Tracy attempted to get Burris to talk about his other contacts later in the hearing and Burris was more than just a little evasive…
Tracy: “So you don’t recall that there was anybody else besides Lon Monk that you expressed an interest to at that point?”
Burris: “No, I can’t recall. Because people were coming to me saying, Roland, you should pursue that appointment, you’re qualified, and this was –”
Tracy: “Is there anybody that comes to mind in that light that you can –”
Surely, here was one last chance for Burris to clear the air and mention his contacts with Harris, Wyma or the governor’s brother. But who did he name?
Rich Barber, a friend of his from New Jersey.
Case closed.
I’m still not convinced that Burris legally perjured himself, but it’s obvious that Roland Burris has not been truthful with the state of Illinois. His first sworn affidavit was apparently a complete fabrication, his sworn testimony was filled with repeated acts of evasion, and therefore his recent sworn affidavit simply cannot be trusted.
* And check out how Burris informed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin about his latest affidavit…
Burris, I’m told by several sources, strolled up to Durbin, the No. 2 Senate leader, and Reid on the Senate floor while they were in the midst of overseeing the vote on President Obama’s stimulus bill, one of the most important pieces of legislation in the history of this nation.
Burris vastly minimized the nature of the document he filed.
After contact with federal agents, U.S. Sen. Roland Burris changed his sworn testimony to the Illinois House committee that moved to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Burris acknowledged Sunday that federal investigators have contacted his lawyers. But he denied that was the reason he sent the House panel new testimony Feb. 5 disclosing for the first time fundraising discussions with Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, who chaired the ex-governor’s campaign fund.
But Burris’ efforts to clear up the matter also created more confusion. Asked to clarify his recent acknowledgment that federal authorities want to talk to him about the appointment, he said they may have contacted him even before he testified Jan. 8 to the House panel that recommended impeaching Blagojevich.
“This is a particularly frustrating revelation,” [Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan] said of Burris’ recent disclosure that he had contact with five Blagojevich insiders. “I encourage the Sangamon County state’s attorney to take a closer look at this in the interest of truth, integrity and transparency.”
* Is it perjury or not?: Former Cook County prosecutor Irv Miller said he wouldn’t approve perjury charges if the case were brought to him. There may be inconsistencies in Burris’ statements, but key questions put to Burris by a House impeachment panel were asked in meandering fashion, rather than the specific, “Isn’t-it-a-fact?” style of a prosecutor, he said.
* What qualifies as ‘perjury?’: Faulty memories don’t constitute perjury. Deliberately lying under oath does. Not telling all you know? Well, that’s a bit trickier.
