John Ruff alleges Burris quid pro quo

March 7, 2009

Could Roland Burris still be lying?

John Ruff thinks so.

According the the Sun Times’ DAVE MCKINNEY, CHRIS FUSCO & NATASHA KORECKI, Ruff, a political consultant and Burris co-plaintiff in his lawsuit against Jesse White, came forward because he wants to apologize for helping Burris get seated. Burris’ longtime lobbying partner and close friend, Fred Lebed, says he doesn’t remember asking for Ruff to be involved and says Ruff is mad he didn’t get a spot in Burris’ Senate office.

LEBED: Ruff asked what he can do for us. John quickly got upset we weren’t using him more. He was very upset we wouldn’t hire him to be communications director and I don’t know why. He was just way too pushy.

Ruff says Lebed told him that Burris’ contact with Blago people went as far back as October.

RUFF: He mentioned that he was talking to people on the governor’s staff — I believe he had mentioned [lobbyist John] Wyma, [chief of staff John] Harris and [former chief of staff Lon] Monk.”

Nobody’s backing him up:

Harris’ lawyer, Terry Ekl, and Wyma’s lawyer, Zach Fardon, said their clients have no recollection of speaking with Lebed about Burris’ Senate hopes. Lawyers for Monk could not be reached for comment.

They went back as far as June 27 by Burris’ own admittance anyway. When did the wiretaps begin? And Burris’ son got his job on Sept 10th.

So updated version:

No one - > No money anyway ->Blagojevich lawyer only -> Lon Monk -> John Wyma + Doug Scofield + John Harris + Ed Smith + Rob Blagojevich - > Rob Blagojevich raise money = Not one penny + Tried couldn’t + Was not considered for the Senate - > “We’ll have to do some things for the governor”

Why is this anything unusual?

Explains Carville, Begala and all the other Clinton people.

Speaking of which, was Eric Holder part of the deal?

Is that why barry finally spoke up?

Nothing is random in barry’s cosmos. Though one would think he would show a little more deference to the one person who could unusurp him.

Anyway, Ruff provided his telephone records detailing calls between him and Lebed from October to February. They have known each other evidently for a few years and work together in the past. They both admit the calls took place and unfortunately for Ruff, Lebed saved a message in which Ruff calls him a MF. Ruff says he was pist because he didn’t want to get mixed up with Burris’ investigations. (As of this date, he still has not been contacted by investigators.)

RUFF: There is more to be discovered. I know the key to finding the information out is through Fred. That’s the main point I wish to get across.

LEBED: I don’t know what John’s problem is.

LEBED: He’s on a witch-hunt. He’s fabricating all of this.

The call in question allgedly took place on Dec 30th, hours before Blago’s press conference naming Burris as barry’s successor.

RUFF: He called me at 9:04 a.m. We talked for 12 minutes. He called to tell me that Gov. Blagojevich was appointing Roland as senator. I congratulated him and asked him how he managed to pull that one off. And that’s when he made some flippant remark about ‘We’ll have to do some things for the governor.’ “

Does this sound plausible?

RUFF: At the time, I just didn’t give that much thought to it because I did not believe they would agree to do any pay-for-play politics for that Senate seat. But then Roland said down in Peoria, ‘I attempted to raise money but was just unsuccessful.’ My thoughts sort of raced back to that moment and realized there was something more nefarious, perhaps, that had been involved here.

Lebed saved a Feb 17th (the day the perjury and Ethics Committee probes were anounced) voicemail from Ruff:.

RUFF: You MFers, now I’m getting investigated. You can all kiss my f***ing ass, Fred. Don’t you f***ers call me back.

RUFF: I probably sounded a bit like Blago there. I just felt like they were putting a lot of people who tried to help them in harm’s way.

Bottom line:

RUFF: I feel I owe people an apology. I started off believing that Sen. Durbin and Sen. Reid were wrong for denying him this seat. But I’ve come to realize most other people were right and I was wrong about this.

LEBED: He is lying through his teeth. He’s playing you guys.

NBC 5

LEBED: I have never told anyone that there was or should be a quid pro quo or anything owed in return to the former governor for the appointment. These statements are libelous and falsely attack my good name and reputation.