Roland Burris, the former Illinois Attorney General named by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the vacant Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama, has a documented history of making substantial donations to Friends of Blagojevich, the very campaign organization that federal prosecutors charge Blagojevich used to put Obama’s seat up for sale to the highest bidder.
According to Illinois State Board of Elections records, Burris donated $1,000 to Friends of Blagojevich on June 27.
On Oct.22 of last year, he donated another $1,500.
The records also show that Burris’ company, Burris & Ledbed Consulting, Inc., a government relations, media and political consultancy firm, made two donations totaling $4,000 to Blagojevich’s campaign on March 13, 2006, just as Blagojevich’s gubernatorial contest was heating up that year.
Blagojevich and Chief of Staff John Harris were arrested earlier this month for allegedly trying to barter or sell the Illinois U.S. Senate seat recently vacated by Obama.
“Gov. Blagojevich has taken us to a new low,” U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said at the time. “This conduct would make [Abraham] Lincoln roll over in his grave.”
Authorities say Blagojevich, 51, and Harris, 46, conspired to commit mail and wire fraud, and solicited bribes.
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