Burris vows he made no deals to gain Obama's senate seat

Roland Burris told an impeachment inquiry Thursday that he made no deals with the corruption-tainted Illinois governor to gain an appointment to the senate seat of president-elect Barack Obama.

"I can before this committee state that there was nothing legal, personal or political exchanged for my appointment to this seat," Burris testified. "Absolutely positively not."

Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested December 9 on allegations that he tried to swap the appointment for a cabinet post, campaign donations or a high-paying job for himself or his wife amid what prosecutors called a "political corruption crime spree."

Blagojevich appointed Burris to the seat a few weeks later despite protestations by Senate Democrats who vowed not to seat anyone he tapped.

"The appointment was legal," Burris testified. "There's no cloud. The appointment was according to law."

Blagojevich, who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, said he was merely fulfilling his duty to the citizens of Illinois after state lawmakers failed to call a special election.

"Please don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man," Blagojevich said in announcing the appointment.

Burris has maintained the scandal surrounding Blagojevich "is all politics and theater" and has challenged the Illinois secretary of state in court for refusing to sign his election certificate.

Burris was blocked from entering the senate floor when the 111th Congress was sworn in Tuesday because the signature was missing from the certificate.

But senate leaders indicated Wednesday they may soon allow Burris to be seated after closely watching his testimony before the Illinois legislative committee.

Burris, a former attorney general who was the first African American elected to state-wide office in Illinois, received a mixed reception from lawmakers on the special committee.

He was grilled on his ties to Blagojevich and asked to explain his work as a lobbyist and a 1.2 million dollar loan to his failed 2002 campaign for governor which was never repaid.

But he was also congratulated for his "tenacity" in facing the media onslaught in the wake of his controversial appointment and his "impeccable career."

Burris testified that he had first become interested in the senate seat when Obama won the Democratic nomination and contacted a member of the governor's staff to indicate his interest in July.

He did not hear back from the governor until December 26 when Blagojevich's lawyer came to his house to ask if he would be willing to accept the appointment.

He said he was not aware of any "qui pro quo" requests from the governor's office prior to the arrest and would not have participated if he had been asked to make a deal.

"I've been in government for 20 years and have never participated in any qui pro quo," Burris testified.

He declined, however, to comment on whether he would have approached law enforcement if he had been asked to make a deal.