Who Am I?
I am Illinois' Junior Senator

What I've said about Blagojevich:
"I think he's doing a helluva job" - Roland Burris responding to questions about Rod Blagojevich's performance as governor (Is gov a team player? Critics insist he's not: He admits to being combative but cites 1st-term achievements, Chicago Sun Times, March 5, 2006)

What I've done for Blagojevich:
I tried to raise money for Rod Blagojevich and lied about it when asked - "Burris has denied any suggestions that he offered favors to Blagojevich in return for the coveted Senate seat, offering a sworn affidavit just days before he testified under oath to state lawmakers investigating Blagojevich. Even when he offered a new affidavit last week acknowledging previously undisclosed contacts with Blagojevich insiders, Burris maintained he refused to help raise money for Blagojevich because "it could be viewed as an attempt to curry favor with him regarding his decision to appoint a successor to President Obama."

But in comments Monday night, Burris for the first time admitted he was asking about the Senate seat while also trying to raise money for Blagojevich at the request of the governor's brother and campaign chief, Robert.

"So some time shortly after Obama was elected, the brother called," Burris said, in comments first reported Tuesday on chicagotribune.com. "And now in the meantime, I'd talked to some people about trying to see if we could put a fundraiser on." (Chicago Tribune, Burris' story shifts again, February 18, 2009)

I am a frequent guest at his fundraisers - "Blagojevich's administration has been beset by investigations and the conviction of Rezko, a onetime top adviser and fund-raiser. But a crowd still turned out, including former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, lobbyist Al Ronan and ex-Blagojevich staffer-turned-lobbyist John Wyma." (Chicago Sun Times, Backers turn out for gov's fund-raiser, June 27, 2008)

"Those listed on the invitation as hosts of the fundraiser include...former Attorney General ROLAND BURRIS, now a lobbyist." (Blagojevich money machine rolls on, conflict or not, State Journal-Register, April 6, 2006)

"Among the notable figures who attended the Blagojevich campaign event was the governor's "kitchen cabinet" adviser Antoin Rezko, a wealthy businessman who has raised political funds for him. Also present were Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, who introduced the governor before his speech, and former attorney general Roland Burris." (Copley News Service, Governor raises $4 million, June 17, 2005)

I have donated over $20,000 to Blagojevich's campaign (Illinois State Board of Elections)

My lobbying clients have donated over $100,000 to Blagojevich - "Burris' lobbying clients...contributed $107,690 for the governor." (Chicago Sun Times, Gov's pick faces a fight; Obama against Blagojevich's surprise decision, Senate Democrats say they won't seat Burris, December 31, 2008)

I conducted opposition research for Blagojevich in his 2006 campaign - "Just days after Gov. Rod Blagojevich accepted his party's nod for re-election in 2006, a letter arrived at state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka's office seeking thousands of pages of documents Blagojevich could use as ammunition against her in their upcoming campaign...The letter was signed by Roland Burris...It was one of several requests Burris made to the treasurer's office in 2006, a campaign practice known as opposition research in which candidates use public documents to question their opponents' records." (Chicago Tribune, Burris helped Blagojevich in 2006, January 11, 2009)

What Blagojevich has done for me:
My consulting firm received nearly $300,000 in state contracts under Blagojevich - "Burris' consulting firm has gotten $294,546.30 in state contracts under Blagojevich." (Chicago Sun Times, Gov's pick faces a fight; Obama against Blagojevich's surprise decision, Senate Democrats say they won't seat Burris, December 31, 2008)

The Blagojevich administration gave on of my clients $750,000 in bond business - "In 2003, the finance firm Loop Capital Markets got more than $750,000 in pension bond business from the Blagojevich administration as part of the governor's $10 billion bond program to pay off state debt. Burris, whose firm was on a $5,000-a-month retainer with Loop Capital, said then that there was nothing wrong with the arrangement...We make sure that the client has access, and the client has to have a product or services that the customer can use, and that it is a competitive product," Burris said." (Chicago Tribune, Burris Practiced in Political Arts, January 8, 2009)

My lobbying clients secured $3 million in state contracts under Blagojevich - "Burris' lobbying clients -- which were under contract with the state for $3.09 million while he represented them -- contributed $107,690 for the governor." (Chicago Sun Times, Gov's pick faces a fight; Obama against Blagojevich's surprise decision, Senate Democrats say they won't seat Burris, December 31, 2008)

My own ethical issues:
I keep trying to get state jobs for my relatives - "In 1994, his final year as attorney general, Burris hired his nephew, Steven R. Burris, as a staff assistant in the attorney general's office. Months later, while running for Chicago mayor, Burris defended the hiring by saying his nephew was qualified." (Chicago Tribune, Burris Practiced in Political Arts, January 8, 2009)

"Also Thursday, a close confidant of Burris confirmed he called another top Blagojevich staffer, John Filan, to recommend Burris' nephew for a state job. Fred Lebed, Burris' partner, called on behalf of Steven Burris, who had applied for a job as a chief financial officer with the Illinois Historical Preservation Agency...Lebed said later, the governor's co-defendant and former chief of staff, John Harris, approved hiring Steven Burris. But Burris never started at the agency that had cut 32 jobs." (Chicago Tribune, Roland Burris asked ex-Rod Blagojevich aide about Senate seat, January 9, 2009)

I also seem to have a tendency to give state contracts to contributors - "A State Journal-Register investigation in 1993 found that half the outside legal contracts awarded by then-Attorney General Roland Burris went to campaign contributors." (State Journal-Register, Attorney general closing 12 outposts, hiring staff, July 27, 1995)

I used campaign funds to boost my state pension (which is now illegal) - "A spokesman for Burris said the Chicago Democrat used the money to increase his state pension benefits...by paying $28,200 into the state pension fund, Burris can draw the maximum pension benefit when he retires." (Chicago Sun-Times, Burris borrowed $28,200 from his campaign fund Chicago, Feb. 2, 1992)