Wiretap: Burris Pleads For Senate Job

FBI Transcript: Senator Promised To "Personally Do Something" For Blagojevich

(AP)  Sen. Roland Burris promised to "personally do something" for Rod Blagojevich's campaign fund while pressing for the then-Illinois governor to appoint him to President Barack Obama's former Senate seat, according to a wiretap transcript released Tuesday.

"Tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya?" Burris tells Robert Blagojevich, who headed his brother's campaign fund, in a Nov. 13 phone conversation secretly taped by the FBI.

The remark came after Robert Blagojevich urged Burris to "keep me in mind and you know if you guys can just write checks that'd be fine, if we can't find a way for you to tie in."

"Okay, okay, well we, we, I, I will personally do something, okay," Burris says.

Earlier in the conversation, Burris and Robert Blagojevich explored the possibility that Burris might raise campaign money on a larger scale.

"I know I could give him a check," Burris said. "Myself."

Burris repeatedly said he wanted to help but added that major fundraising would have "so many negative connotations that Burris is trying to buy an appointment from the governor."

The transcript was released after U.S. District Chief Judge James F. Holderman approved making it available to the U.S. Senate ethics committee for its preliminary investigation of Burris's appointment.

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Read A Transcript Of The Call Between Robert Blagojevich And Roland Burris

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The new senator has been under intense scrutiny since he was appointed by the now-ousted governor in December, and for changing his story multiple times about whether he promised anything in exchange for it. The ethics committee began a preliminary investigation into how Burris got his job, and the Sangamon County State's Attorney was asked to determine whether perjury charges were warranted.

Burris opens the wiretapped conversation by telling Robert Blagojevich: "I know you're calling telling me that you're gonna make me king of the world.

"And therefore I can go off to, you know, wherever and do all these great things," Burris adds. He says that he has "been trying to figure out what the heck, you know, I can do."

"We've had a number of conversations about, you know, anything you might be able to do," Robert Blagojevich says a moment later.

Burris says he is concerned about how fundraising on his part would be viewed if he got the Senate seat.

"And I'm trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment," he says.

"I hear ya," says Robert Blagojevich. "No, I hear ya."

The then-governor was arrested Dec. 9 on charges of scheming to sell or trade the Senate seat Obama was vacating and using the political muscle of the governor's office to squeeze people involved in state business for campaign contributions.

Blagojevich, ousted by lawmakers in January, and his brother have both pleaded not guilty in response to charges in the case as have four other members of the former governor's inner circle.

Burris talks about taking part in a fundraising event that the Blagojevich campaign fund already has planned and says he is "wrestling with" what to do.

"I understand your concerns, ah, Roland," Robert Blagojevich says.

"And God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod," Burris says. "Number two, I also wanna, you know hope I get a consideration to get that appointment."

Neither Robert Blagojevich's attorney, Michael Ettinger, nor Wright objected to the government's motion to give the tapes to the Senate. Wright said Tuesday that Burris never wrote any checks to the Blagojevich campaign following the conversation.

"These transcripts verify the accuracy of my previous public statements on this matter and demonstrate once and for all there was no 'pay to play' involved in my appointment to the United States Senate or perjury in my recounting of that process," Burris said in a statement.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, Randall Samborn, had no comment.

Indicted with both Blagojeviches were former campaign fund chairman Christopher G. Kelly, former chiefs of staff John Harris and Alonzo Monk and Springfield multimillionaire William Cellini.

All have pleaded not guilty, although Harris's attorney says he is cooperating with federal prosecutors and Monk is believed to be as well.

Burris' Senate appointment followed at least two phone conversations between Burris and Robert Blagojevich.

Burris told the Illinois House impeachment committee that he had promised nothing to Blagojevich in exchange for the seat but has changed his version of exactly what was said several times and questions have been raised about what happened.

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 considered 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 that 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 tried to find people willing to donate but failed.

Then he stopped answering questions, letting others speak on his behalf.

[weedapoopl]

"Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it. I believe the best resolution would be for the Governor to resign his office and allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place. While Governor Blagojevich is entitled to his day in court, the people of Illinois are entitled to a functioning government and major decisions free of taint and controversy," said President-elect Obama.
Posted by cbsantispin at 10:16 AM : May 27, 2009


No, no. That's a cop out. That statement does NOT address Burris buying his seat and lying about it.

So in addition to Pelosigate, we now have BURRISGATE!!!!

Other news sources are reporting that Burris is STILL maintaining his innocence.

Such utter arrogance alone deserves severe punishment....

[cbsantispin]

Posted by enjoylife63 at 11:29 AM : May 27, 2009

tis tis, another out of power cry baby! In America, Voters get to pick their Kool Aid, your Kool Aid was tainted and almost made U.S. extinct!

[cbsantispin]

Obama had no problem calling for General Motors chairman Rick Wagoner to step down, why doesn't he weigh in on Roland Burris?
Posted by cbs4111 at 6:20 AM : May 27, 2009

A VERY VERY GOOD QUESTION.
Posted by weedapoopl at 7:42 AM : May 27, 2009

Pres. Obama has already made his position on Burris known, prior and after Senate confimation.

Obama's statement reads:

"Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it. I believe the best resolution would be for the Governor to resign his office and allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place. While Governor Blagojevich is entitled to his day in court, the people of Illinois are entitled to a functioning government and major decisions free of taint and controversy," said President-elect Obama.

[weedapoopl]

Obama had no problem calling for General Motors chairman Rick Wagoner to step down, why doesn't he weigh in on Roland Burris?
Posted by cbs4111 at 6:20 AM : May 27, 2009

A VERY VERY GOOD QUESTION.

[weedapoopl]

Is this gentleman a Dem or a Rep fraud disguised as Dem?
Posted by TalMD at 6:01 AM : May 27, 2009

Well, I may be mistaken on this, but I'll go out on a limb and say

BURRIS IS A DEOMCRAT!
BURRIS IS A DEOMCRAT!
BURRIS IS A DEOMCRAT!
BURRIS IS A DEOMCRAT!
BURRIS IS A DEOMCRAT!
BURRIS IS A DEOMCRAT!

Yep, looks like the Democrats are getting to be just as bad as the Republicans became after they got tired of losing to the Democrats and got as bad as they were.

It's a race to the bottom, folks! And now the Democrats are in the lead once again, taking back their traditional role in the corruption of America...

[cbs4111]

Where is Obama in all of this?

Obama had no problem calling for General Motors chairman Rick Wagoner to step down, why doesn't he weigh in on Roland Burris?

By the way, to the author of the comment that it must be ok for Burris to keep his seat in the Senate because Larry Craig kept his, Craig is gone. Craig is no longer a Senator, he was so disgraced he didn't run for reelection. Plus, there's a huge difference between acting inappropriately in one's personal life and attempting to buy a Senate seat. The former is bad judgement, maybe even rising to moral corruption, but the latter is civil corruption - something that all citizens should not tolerate no matter what political party they're in.

Obama, it's time to act like the stand-up guy you profess to be.

[TalMD]

According to the media. I thought all the Reps are frauds.. Is this gentleman a Dem or a Rep fraud disguised as Dem?

[johninpennsyl]

Hey! Idon't blame him for trying hard to get that "job".Its a really good gig,great pay and benefits,and you don't have to do anything except favors for foreign governments,who will give you bribe money.
They should have put it on E-bay.

[valh1]

From day one anyone with half a brain could see that Burris was a corrupt and complete idiot. But that seems to be all that comes out of Chicago.

[sabre1111]

My oh my this is a quite board,I guess when the Democrats receive a spanking they learn to keep their big trash talking mouths shut! Alright Republicans let's just keep spanking the Liars..
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Posted by albert571


No, we just can't stand all the hypocrisy coming from the right wing's pieholes. Its just too much to take at times. (like you all suddenly have a gapping hole in your memories from 2001-2008).