This is perfectly 'legal' for Blago to do, and its legal for Burris to accept. That doesn't make it a smart move on either person's part.
When the press started covering Roland Burris, I wondered what alternate universe they were reporting from.
For instance, USA Today said:
Burris has been free of controversy
For nearly two decades in office Roland Burris avoided the kind of controversy that has helped define his home state's rough and tumble political scene.
In a chat on Slate, Edward Clelland, who has been covering this story for several sources, said:
Burris no longer had a political career in Illinois. He was an uninspiring but honest state office holder in the '80s and '90s, but since then, he had lost three races for governor and a race for mayor.
I'll never understand how those reporters came to that conclusion.
Here are a few stories that give a more complete picture.
From Yahoo News:
Burris a Registered Lobbyist, but Tardy on His Paperwork
Roland W. Burris, the former state attorney general picked by Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, is a registered lobbyist who appears to be out of compliance with federal lobbying laws.
This is important because of some of the contracts that Burris' law firm has been involved with. For instance, did you know that Burris' law firm is responsible for looking over minority contracts with the state's tollway authority?
Given that, this Sun-Times article is all the more the more important to read:
Burris, his lobbying firm, his clients and a law firm that includes him donated $127,986 to Blagojevich since the governor took office. Burris himself gave $4,500 to the governor, including $1,000 last June. His lobbying firm, Burris & Lebed Consulting, gave $10,796 in cash and services. The law firm with which Burris is affiliated kicked in $5,000 for the governor. Burris' consulting firm has gotten $294,546.30 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.
Let me sum this up:
My crooked governor Blago is accused of trying to sell a senate seat for cash, in-kind donations, and appointments.
While under a cloud of corruption, he appointed Roland Burris to that senate position.
Roland Burris... the same Roland Burris who has contributed thousands to the governor's campaign, and who owns a lobbying firm who has sent hundreds of thousands of dollars the governor's way through their clients.
(For those of you who have forgotten; lobbyists are people who funnel money to the politician to get their way.)
-And some media are claiming that Burris is untouched by corruption?
Ack.
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