Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― U.S. Sen. Roland Burris says he never participated in a pay-to-play scheme despite the release of a transcript in which he offers to "personally do something" for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign fund.

Burris spoke to reporters outside his Chicago home Wednesday before leaving on a two-day tour of central Illinois. The Democrat says he didn't try to buy President Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat and never committed perjury. Burris said the transcript shows he's been truthful.

In a prepared statement, Sen. Burris said:

"The release of transcripts by the U.S. prosecutor's office shows that I was truthful when I testified that at no time did I take any part in pay to play while lobbying for the Senate seat.

"Did I want to be appointed to the Senate seat? Yes, I did. Did I try to buy the seat? Never.

"While I wanted to keep my commitment to making a personal contribution, I did not, because of the perception of impropriety that might arise. Did I commit perjury? No.

"I also said I wanted the tapes and the transcripts to become public. I expect the media and the public to review every word of the transcript in context. And at the end of the day, I expect both to judge me fairly and to acknowledge I did not carry favor, and was not a willing party to any alleged pay-to-play scheme, and that I did not lie to anyone about the events leading to my appointment.

"It is my belief the transcripts help set the record straight and should settle this issue once and for all."

 Click here to hear the full conversation.

When CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez questioned Burris about the conversation with Rob Blagojevich stating that he would give money on a particular date, Sen. Burris said, "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."

When asked why he never revealed these conversations to the impeachment panel, Sen. Burris said, "It was never asked."

And Burris says he didn't tell the impeachment committee that he discussed fundraising for ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich because, like any good lawyer, he didn't want to volunteer information he wasn't asked about.

Burris told The Associated Press Wednesday it never occurred to him he should've told lawmakers in January testimony at the state Capitol about his conversation with the former governor's brother.

The details of the conversation emerged after a federal judge said Tuesday he would allow the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee to hear a federal wiretap of the former governor's brother, Rob, having a fund-raising conversation with Burris. Rob Blagojevich was running the campaign fund at the time.

As for the transcript released by the FBI, it tells a very different story than the one Burris told to a committee investigating former governor Blagojevich just last February.

In February, Burris said he immediately shot down talk about raising money for the governor while he was being considered for the U.S. Senate seat.

But on the tape recorded conversation with Rob Blagojevich, Burris agonizes about how it would look to the public.

 Click here to read the full transcript of the conversation

Burris says he'd like to make a personal donation but says "if I do get appointed, that means I bought it."

Burris' attorney Timothy Wright says the senator has nothing to hide. And in a conversation with CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery, Wright says the tapes actually back up the senator's story.

"I think what it shows is he did not pay to play. And what he told was the truth. And I think that, if anything, this exonerates him, and hopefully take a step to repairing a reputation that I think was unfairly ruined," Wright said.

Burris ultimately did not raise any money for the governor or contribute to his campaign.

Blagojevich appointed Burris just before being kicked out of office.

CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller says that there is no way to reconcile the affidavit that Burris submitted to the Senate with the transcripts that were released Tuesday.

Miller says if the state's attorney of Sangamon County was on the fence or close to presenting the case to a grand jury, this is going to tip the scale and make them want to go ahead with the prosecution.

Sen. Dick Durbin told reporters Wednesday that he will not support a re-election bid for Burris.

Burris' Illinois tour on Wednesday includes a trip to Urbana where he met with the Chancellor of University of Illinois, a visit to Champaign for a meeting with the U.S. Small Business Assoication and a trip to Decatur to talk with school leaders.

Burris will finish his tour in Springfield where he will meet with the city's mayor.

So far Burris has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez and Political Editor Mike Flannery and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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