Senate ethics panel admonishes Roland Burris

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Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) was rebuked today by the Senate Ethics Committee, which issued him a ‘public letter of qualified admonition’ for his actions in connection with his appointment by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The letter informed Burris that the Senate committee had concluded that ‘your actions reflected unfavorably on the Senate.’

‘The committee found that you should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public, the Senate and those conducting legitimate inquiries into your appointment to the Senate,’ the letter said.

Burris, who was appointed to the seat vacated by President Obama, sought to cast the committee’s action as a vindication, noting that panel had cited a state’s attorney’s conclusion that there were no ‘actionable violations of the law.’

Burris issued a statement saying: ‘I am pleased that after numerous investigations, this matter has finally come to a close. I thank the members of the Senate Ethics Committee for their fair and thorough review of this matter, and now look forward to continuing the important work ahead on behalf of the people of Illinois.’

The Ethics Committee opened an investigation after questions arose whether Burris had been truthful about his contacts with Blagojevich associates in the months before his appointment.

In an affidavit in January, Burris said he had ‘not any contact’ with Blagojevich representatives before a Dec. 26 telephone call in which an attorney for the governor approached him about accepting the Senate appointment.

Later in January, in testimony to the state House committee that was considering Blagojevich’s impeachment, Burris acknowledged only a conversation with Blagojevich associate Lon Monk. In February, he said he had conversations with Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, and several other associates of the governor.

A recording released in May showed Burris spoke last November with Robert Blagojevich of his interest in the Senate seat and ways he might join in Blagojevich fundraising events hosted by others or contribute money through Burris associates. Blagojevich was impeached and is awaiting trial in federal court for alleged misconduct, accused of trying to trade the appointment to the Senate for campaign contributions and other favors.

-- Katherine Skiba