All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Updated at 12:55 p.m. ET.

A Senate ethics panel cleared Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) of any legal wrongdoing, after months of questions swirling around his appointment to the Senate seat President Obama left vacant upon taking office.

The panel, however, strong criticized Burris for providing “incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public and the Senate. It calls a number of his actions “inappropriate.”

Burris came under fire after Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- who was already accused of trying to sell Mr. Obama's former Senate seat -- appointed Burris to the position. Burris was not initially under investigation for any connection to Blagojevich's alleged scheme, but he later admitted he tried to raise money for the governor while seeking the Senate seat.

In a "public letter of qualified admonition (PDF)," the six-person Senate Ethics Committee found that Burris committed no "actionable violations of the law."

Still, the panel wrote in its letter, "Senators must meet a much higher standard of conduct."

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Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will have to face the law next summer -- but first he'll face the judgment of Donald Trump.

Blagojevich is reportedly set to appear on the NBC reality television show, "Celebrity Apprentice." On the program, hosted by Trump, 14 allegedly famous people compete in business-oriented tasks.

According to various reports, NBC has not yet officially confirmed the cast for the ninth season, slated to start in spring 2010.

The former governor is best known for alleged entrepreneurial schemes that have been deemed suspect in the eyes of the law: Blagojevich is scheduled to stand trial in June 2010 on federal corruption charges for allegedly planning to sell or trade President Obama's former U.S. Senate seat. He has pleaded not guilty.

A federal judge earlier this year refused to allow him to leave the country for another reality show, NBC's "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!", while awaiting trial. His wife Patti appeared on the program.

Blagojevich also hit the media circuit this year to promote his book, "The Governor."

Impeached former Illinois governor and self-proclaimed "Champion for Ordinary People" Rod Blagojevich has a new Web site: www.GovernorRod.com.

"Rod Blagojevich needed his own Web site. It was time," Blagojevich's spokesman said in a press release.

The site marks an effort by the former governor to build up his personal brand and make a living now as a private citizen. Lacking access to some of the "f***ing valuable thing[s]" he could depend on as governor (such as the right to appoint someone to Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama, which he said was something you "just don't give…away for nothing"), Blagojevich uses his new site to push his upcoming book and radio talk show as well as profess his innocence.

The site notes that Blagojevich "made history in August 2009 when he became the first former elected official still facing charges to be named host of his own radio show."

He "asserts he is innocent of all charges and looks forward to his day in court," the site reads. "In the meantime, he's not holding back. He's not playing politics or playing nice. He's simply speaking his mind and telling the truth!"

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Sen. Ronald Burris was defiant today in answering criticism stemming from the FBI’s release of tape recordings detailing conversations between the senator and the brother of impeached former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"Please understand, that there was no pay to play in this or any intention of pay to play," Burris said this morning on "The John Williams Show,” as reported by the Chicago Tribune. "And therefore, that should be the end of the story. The transcripts bear that out. There's no conjecture."

“Did I try to buy the seat? Never,” Burris said to reporters outside of his home, according to the Associated Press. “Did I commit perjury? No.”

The transcript released by the FBI shows Burris discussing raising money for Blagojevich while also asking to be considered for the Senate seat to which he was later appointed. Burris initially insisted that he did not have conversations concerning fundraising with the former governor’s office, though his story has since changed.

The conversation between the senator and Rob Blagojevich did not include any specific quid pro quo arrangements, and Burris argued that the tapes exonerate him. During the recorded conversation, Burris is recorded promising to “personally do something” and pressing to be appointed to Barack Obama’s former Senate seat.

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Hear the federal wiretap of Roland Burris' conversation with Robert Blagojevich.

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“Tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya?," Burris says at the end of conversation. Earlier, he offers to “give [Blagojevich] a check, myself."

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In an effort to stay in the Senate seat to which he was appointed by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, U.S. Senator Roland Burris has one thing going for him: Name recognition.

It's practically inconceivable that anyone living in his native Illinois – or any of the other 49 states, for that matter – hasn't heard of the embattled junior senator and his troubles. But Burris’ time in the spotlight, along with his tumultuous tenure in the Senate, may be a short one. In an interview with the Beltway publication The Hill Thursday, Burris indicated that he won't campaign for election to the seat he now holds if he feels he cannot raise enough money. He said he will make his decision in the next few weeks.

“I'm moving into a phase now where I will be talking to people and assessing the opportunities in terms of my ability to raise the funds and stay here," Burris told The Hill.

As The Hill noted, the scandal-plagued senator's fundraising has been anemic. Burris only managed to cobble together $845 in the first quarter of 2009. But Burris said that if he entered the race, he didn't believe that raising money would be a problem.

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This report comes from CBS 2 Chicago.

A judge has ruled that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich may not go to Costa Rica to take part in a reality TV show, because the judge doesn't think the former governor will come back.

Judge James B. Zagel also said in court that Blagojevich is broke, and taxpayer funds will have to be used for his criminal defense.

Blagojevich arrived in court at the Dirksen Federal Building just a few minutes ahead of time for an 11 a.m. hearing. He had hoped to ask for permission to travel to Costa Rica to appear on the NBC reality program "I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here," which will be filmed in June.

Blagojevich was ordered to surrender his passport when he was hit with federal corruption charges, so he had to ask Zagel for permission to leave the country.

Zagel deemed Blagojevich a flight risk and said no. Thet judge also dismissed an offer by representatives from the show to pay retired law enforcement members to keep an eye on the former governor while he taped the show, saying they would have no jurisdiction or authority in Costa Rica anyway.

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Ousted Illinois Gov. Rob Blagojevich will be indicted today, according to sources, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

All the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago is saying for sure is that they will release a court filing today about a "significant criminal matter." The release did not mention what case the filing pertained to, but the Sun-Times says it will be related to Blagojevich.

Blagojevich was first arrested on December 9 on corruption charges related to accusations he was trying to sell President Obama's former senate seat. He was impeached and removed from office two months later.

Also of note: according to the Associated Press, the former governor and his family are on vacation at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Blago In The Morning.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will tomorrow host a radio talk show on Chicago’s WLS-AM. The Associated Press reports that according to program director Bob Shomper, the Democrat will be “taking calls from listeners, telling stories and talking with guests.”

Blago was offered a regular weekend slot on the station in January, on the condition that he resign from office. He refused and was later impeached on corruption charges, among them attempting to effectively sell President Obama’s former Senate seat.

The former governor’s hosting duty tomorrow a fill-in job: He will be temporarily taking the reins of the Don Wade and Roma Morning Show, which, as CNN notes, is billed as “"the most positive, optimistic radio show in the universe.”

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Sen. Dick Durbin suggested to his fellow Illinois Sen. Roland Burris today that he would resign from the chamber if he was in Burris' shoes.

But in a meeting today, Burris said he would not resign, according to Durbin.

Durbin's comments were made after the two Democrats met privately as Burris faces calls to step down following his admission that he had more involvement with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich than initially he let on while being considered for an appointment to President Obama’s former Senate seat.

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From the Associated Press:

A Chicago minister tells The Associated Press he and other black pastors who previously supported U.S. Sen. Roland Burris now plan to ask him to resign.

The minister spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because a meeting with Burris hadn't yet been scheduled. He says the senator can no longer serve effectively.

Many of the city's black pastors supported seating Burris because of his scandal-free reputation — even though he was appointed by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich after the governor was arrested.

But revelations that Burris attempted to raise money for Blagojevich while seeking the Senate job have eroded some of his support. Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell the Senate appointment.

A Burris spokeswoman didn't immediately return a phone message.

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