CHICAGO — U.S. Sen. Roland Burris did not commit perjury last year when he testified before a state panel about how he was appointed to the seat by ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois state’s attorney investigating the case has determined.
“There is insufficient evidence to charge Sen. Burris with perjury,” said John Schmidt, Sangamon County state’s attorney, in a statement released Friday morning.
Schmidt said although Burris might have given incomplete answers to the panel that was looking into Blagojevich and the appointment of Burris, the senator did not perjure himself.
Burris issued a statement saying he was “obviously very pleased” with the decision and calling Schmidt’s investigation “both thorough and fair.”
“I am glad that the truth has prevailed,” he said. “This matter has now been fully investigated; I cooperated at every phase of the process, and as I have said from the beginning, I have never engaged in any pay-to-play, never perjured myself, and came to this seat in an honest and legal way.”
Burris, 71, was appointed to President Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat by Blagojevich after the FBI arrested Blagojevich on corruption charges. Those charges include allegations that the former governor tried to sell the seat for political donations.
Blagojevich, who was impeached and removed from office, has denied wrongdoing.
Burris still faces an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, which is looking into the circumstances of his appointment. That committee hasn’t voted to oust a sitting member since the Civil War era.
The investigation was launched by the county prosecutor in Springfield after Burris changed his story several times following his testimony about contacts he had with associates of Blagojevich leading up to his appointment.
