February 15, 2009
(1-5) Jan 5th affidavit to the impeachment committee
(1-7) Jan 7th Press conference denying contact
(1-8) Jan 8th testimony before impeachment committee (text)
(1-8) Jan 8th testimony before the impeachment committee (vide0)
(2-4) Feb 4th affidavit to impeachment committee
(2-14) Burris comes cleans
(2-14) Burris questioner Jim Durkin doesn’t buy it
(2-15) Feb 15th press conference re: (2-4) affidavit (text)
(2-15) Feb 15th press conference re: (2-4) affidavit (video)
Roland Burris held a rather contentious press conference. The press is looking for blood because they are so pist off about barry's waffling. They were not at all respectful. Just once I would like to see them attack barry like this. He'd caved.
Thing is Burris - from his most recent statements - did not do anything wrong. It's the perjury that will cost him the job. It's the IL Dems' fault for not going with a special election. Even blago wanted one and he said he would gladly defer to it. (Of course he knew they wouldn't do it.) But they said no hoping Pat Quinn would get in there and nominate his co-conspirator Lisa Madigan. How pist off is Harry Reid at barry? What a fortuitous start to barry's love affair with the senate.
Anyway. Burris said it was all above board and that he filed the affidavit voluntarily to make sure all the facts came out. He did not do it because the Feds were coming after him. Someone had to have tipped him off...does blago's lawyer have all the taped conversations? Because he would know about Burris' contacts. And then there's his brother Rob, who, unless he has amnesia, too, had to have mentioned he talked to Burris.
And then there's the covert nature of the filing of the affidavit that makes it look like he was trying to hide it all. You want it to come out - you come out with it. He stuck with his story that he answered consistently in the time allotted and that he didn't get a chance t0 answer because Rep Durkin took the questioning in a different direction.
(hand transcribed)
BURRIS: Throughout my career, I have always conducted myself with honor and integrity.
I responded to the questions by the impeachment committee in the time allotted.
At no time did I ever make any inconsistent statements.
....Yes. I had contacts with representatives and friends of the former governor about the senate seat -- none of it inappropriate.
When asked by Rep Durkin, during the committee hearing about contact with representatives of the governor, I responded: Yes, I did have contact, and mentioned an encounter with Lon Monk.
Sen Durbin--Sen (sic) Durkin then took the line of questioning in a different direction.
To be clear, I had contact with 6 individuals in total: Lon Monk, who is not a member of the governor's staff, Doug Scofield, John Wyma, Ed Smith, the labor leader, John Harris, and Rob Blagojevich, along with many other friends. And, as I said on the record, I was telling nearly everyone I knew that I was interested in the senate seat.
Rob Blagojevich reached out to me in three separate phone calls to ask for assistance raising money for his brother, then Governor Blagojevich. A fact that I fully disclosed in my affidavit to the impeachment committee
I made that it very clear to him that I would not contribute, that it would be inappropriate, and a major conflict, because I had expressed an interest in the senate seat.
Once more, I've always conducted myself with honor and integrity.
We have provided information to the impeachment committee, as well as Senators Reid and Durbin.
And I did not donate one single dollar, nor did I raise any money or promise any favors, of any kind, for the governor.
Then he said that if anyone suggests anything different they are playing partisan politics. And then the press had at him. Have the feds questioned him? No...but they want to. Is that why barry was in town too?
BURRIS: What I understand is some of the agents have reached out to my lawyers. They want to meet with me.
And then his lawyer Timothy Wright III said "the FBI has not come to us and they're not asking us for anything" and then when asked about Burris' statement that the Feds want to meet with him Wright said "there may have been some contact".
So which is it and did it take place before they amended his affidavit?
