Nov 20, 2009 3:00 pm US/Eastern
No Punishment For Sen. Burris' False Statements
Senate Ethics Committee Admonishes Illinois' Junior Senator For False Statements About Appointment
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) fields questions from the media following a Small Business Administration roundtable discussion at the University of Illinois on May 27, 2009, in Champaign, Ill.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
The Senate Ethics Committee has concluded that U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., broke no laws, but blasted him for providing "incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public" about his appointment to office, reports CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago.
Burris was appointed to office in January by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, after Blagojevich had been arrested at his home on corruption charges, but before the governor was removed from office.
Among the charges against Blagojevich are that he tried to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat, to which he later appointed Burris. The minute Burris was appointed, questions mounted about whether he had offered money to Blagojevich too.
The Ethics Committee issued
a "Public Letter of Qualified Admonition" against Burris on Friday. The panel found that a wiretapped conversation with the deposed governor's brother, Robert, was "inappropriate." In the Nov. 13, 2008, call, Burris tells Robert Blagojevich he will give money on a certain date.
In June, Burris said of that call, "After I hung up the phone, I said I can't even do that. That was on November 13th. I didn't give him any money and I did not raise any money."
But Burris faced scrutiny for changing his story multiple times about whether he promised anything for Blagojevich in exchange for the seat. When asked why he didn't reveal the conversations with the governor's brother when questioned by the Blagojevich impeachment panel, he replied, "It was never asked."
The Senate Ethics Committee was strongly critical of Burris' stories about his interactions with Blagojevich.
"Your shifting explanations about your sworn statements appear less than candid," the committee's letter to Burris said. "You gave multiple and at times contradictory explanations for failing to disclose all your contacts with the governor's associates, which individually and collectively gave the appearance that you were being less than candid."
Burris was also investigated by Sangamon County, Ill., State's Attorney John Schmidt. But in June, Schmidt's office concluded that while some of Burris' statements were vague, they wouldn't support a perjury charge.
Burris has said he does not plan to run for a full term in the Senate in 2010.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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