Senate Majority Leader Reid cautious on Burris

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It maybe safe to assume that Burris may excape losing his seat based on the story below. I think it would be a terrible mistake to allow him to remain seated.

Posted by Mark Z. Barabak of the Los Angeles Times at 6 p.m.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/02/senate-majority-leader-cautious-on-burris.html

LAS VEGAS—U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a less than ringing endorsement of Sen. Roland Burris today, saying he was hopeful that the Illinois junior senator wasn’t trying to “avoid or mislead anyone” with his sworn testimony before an Illinois legislative panel that asked questions about how he was appointed to the post.



Reid, speaking at the dedication of a new brain research center in his home state of Nevada, said he had spoken to his top deputy in the Senate, Illinois’ Sen. Dick Durbin, who is traveling in Greece, about the Burris controversy and new revelations that Burris had previously undisclosed contacts with insiders to then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.



Reid and Durbin had both made Burris’ truthful testimony before the Illinois legislative panel a condition for seating Burris in the Senate after initially declaring they would not seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich.



Reid noted that the speaker of the Illinois House, Rep. Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) had turned over to the local prosecutor in Springfield, Ill., documents relating to Burris’ sworn testimony involving questions over his appointment by Blagojevich three weeks after the governor was arrested on federal corruption charges that included allegedly trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat held previously by President Barack Obama.

“The speaker’s referred the matter to the prosecutor in Springfield to find out if he was telling the truth,” Reid said. “Durbin and I had two issues: No 1, (Burris) had to have correct papers. He got that. No. 2, he had to meet with the state legislative committee that was doing the investigation and be honest with them in every manner. Now, time will tell whether he was. I hope he was. We’re going to wait and see.”



Reid and Durbin had met with Burris in Washington a day prior to Burris offering his testimony to the panel on Jan. 8. Following the meeting with Burris on Jan. 7, Reid said, “Roland Burris, to me, appears to be candid, and forthright. Without any hesitation, he prepared an affidavit that the impeachment committee for the Illinois state assembly already has. And he’s going to go answer any other questions they might have. He’s not trying to avoid any responsibility or trying to hide anything.”



But Reid wasn’t making any such declarations today.



Asked if Burris had been dealing straight with him, Reid said: “It wasn’t a question of dealing with us. It was the state Legislature.



“He went before the state Legislature and he obviously convinced them, but we’ll have to see… I hope he didn’t try to avoid or mislead anyone but that’s what the investigation (in Springfield) is all about,” Reid said.



Reid gave no indication that Burris’ evolving story in sworn testimony was a matter for the Senate Ethics Committee. Unlike how Illinois lawmakers impeached Blagojevich and removed him from office, state legislators have no legitimate action they can take regarding Burris’ federal appointment.



But any member can refer an issue to the Senate Ethics Committee. A spokeswoman for the committee’s chair, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), said, “Whenever allegations of improper conduct are brought to the attention of the Senate Ethics Committee, we open a preliminary inquiry.”



In an ethics committee review, it could recommend that the full Senate consider no sanctions or penalties ranging from censure to the rare extreme that a member be expelled.



“Senator Reid supports Senator Burris’ decision to cooperate with all appropriate officials who may review this matter, including state agencies and the Senate Ethics Committee,” said Jim Manley, a Reid spokesman.



At issue are affidavits and testimony Burris offered to the special Illinois House panel that recommended Blagojevich’s impeachment.



In an initial affidavit to the legislative committee, Burris said he had no contacts with representatives of Blagojevich about the Senate appointment prior to Dec. 26, when he was contacted by a Blagojevich attorney about his interest in the post.



At the hearing, Burris testified he had an earlier conversation with another Blagojevich insider, in July.

Then, in an affidavit to the panel quietly filed earlier this month, Burris acknowledged he had discussed the Senate appointment with about a half-dozen insiders, including several names he was asked about but didn’t bring up in his testimony. Those insiders included Blagojevich’s brother, Robert Blagojevich, whom Burris said asked him to try to raise money for the then-governor.



Last night, Burris acknowledged he tried to raise money for the former governor at the behest of Blagojevich’s brother at the same time Burris was pitching the Senate seat. Previously, Burris had left the impression he was refusing to solicit money because it was inappropriate.



On Sunday in Chicago, Burris read a prepared statement before a raucous news conference with reporters.



“Rob Blagojevich reached out to me in three separate phone calls to ask for assistance raising money for his brother, then-Gov. Blagojevich, a fact that I fully disclosed in my affidavit to the impeachment committee. I made it very clear to him (the governor’s brother) that I would not contribute, that it would be inappropriate and a major conflict, because I had expressed in interest in the Senate seat,” Burris said.


But Burris did not disclose to the panel that he had tried to arrange a fundraiser for Blagojevich at the request of the then-governor’s brother and, only after being rebuffed in his attempt to solicit donations, told Robert Blagojevich in his final conversation with the governor’s brother in mid-November that such fundraising would be inappropriate.



Tribune reporter Mike Dorning contributed to this report.