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Ex-Ill. Gov. Sought Cash From Burris

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is reviewing a bombshell revelation that Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) was solicited for campaign cash by the brother of ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich — a fact that Burris failed to disclose during the Blagojevich impeachment proceedings in January. Burris disclosed the contact with Blagojevich in an affidavit, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Saturday. Republican state legislators in Illinois say they are reviewing Burris’ testimony before a state legislative panel and are calling for a criminal investigation to determine whether the newly installed U.S. Senator committed perjury. Burris revealed in the Feb. 5 affidavit — three weeks after he was seated in the Senate — that Blagojevich’s brother approached him with a request for $10,000 in campaign cash, the Sun-Times reported. Burris did not turn over the money. Burris said he sent the affidavit to Illinois state House leaders after reviewing the transcript of his testimony before the impeachment committee, the Sun-Times reported. “There were several facts that I was not given the opportunity to make during my testimony,” Burris said. “I voluntarily submitted an affidavit so everything was transparent.” A spokesman for Reid said the Majority Leader is “reviewing the affidavit.” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D), Burris’ home-state colleague, is traveling overseas.

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