Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., insisted Monday that a newly released affidavit outlining contacts with ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother and other advisers was voluntary and not the result of contact from federal agents investigating the former governor.
“It was done because we promised the [impeachment] committee we would supplement information in case we missed anything,” Burris said Monday before embarking on trip to talk with constituents. “End of story.”
Recommended Stories
Burris released an affidavit over the weekend in which he conceded Blagojevich’s brother asked him for campaign fundraising help before Blagojevich appointed Burris to the Senate.
The disclosure is at odds with Burris’ testimony in January, when the Illinois House impeachment committee specifically asked whether he had ever spoken to Robert Blagojevich or other aides to the now-deposed governor about the Senate seat vacated by President Obama. The discrepancy could mean Burris perjured himself.
But the Democratic senator insisted Monday that the Feb. 4 affidavit was merely a promised supplement, not a contradiction, to his testimony before the committee and was not requested as part of the federal corruption investigation of Blagojevich’s administration.
“There was no change of any of our testimony,” Burris, 71, said. “We followed up as we promised the impeachment committee. … The information that’s being reported in terms of that this was done because of a fed statement is absolutely, positively not true.”
