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Roland Burris Timeline

2008 Dec 30 Governor Rod Blagojevich names Roland Burris to fill Obama's Senate Seat
"I've enjoyed the limelight the past couple of days" —Rod Blagojevich
2008 Dec 31 Roland Burris erects mausoleum for himself
A stickler for preparation, Roland Burris has built a mausoleum for himself in Oak Woods Cemetery on the South Side. Carved under the words "TRAIL BLAZER" is a long list of accomplishment...
2009 Jan 8 Roland Burris testifies before Illinois House Impeachment Committee
Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris told state lawmakers investigating the possible impeachment that he did not act unethically in being appointed to the U.S. Senate seat vacat...
2009 Jan 15 Roland Burris sworn in to US Senate
Roland Burris Sworn In as Obama Senate Successor After an initial snub from his Democratic colleagues, Burris is welcomed into the club Posted January 15, 2009 By LIZ SIDOTI Assoc...
2009 Feb 14 Illinois Congressman Jim Durkin refers Roland Burris' testimony to Sangamon County State's Attorney
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has changed his story again about what happened before ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed him to the Senate, and state Republican leaders said Saturday they want an...
2009 Feb 14 Roland Burris admits he spoke to Blagojevich people
"He assured us there was nothing wrong, so we said, ‘Well, say it under oath. It troubles me that there was a need to file an additional affidavit.”" —Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL
2009 Feb 17 US Senate Ethics Committee opens investigation of Senator Roland Burris
The Senate Ethics Committee has opened a preliminary inquiry into Sen. Roland Burris’s (D-Ill.) conflicting testimony on the circumstances surrounding his appointment while Senate Dem...
2009 Feb 20 Governor Pat Quinn calls for Roland Burris' resignation from US Senate
Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday called on fellow Democrat Roland Burris to resign from the Senate, saying the controversy surrounding Burris' appointment to the seat was hurting the state and hi...
2009 Feb 21 Roland Burris talks to federal investigators
Federal authorities interviewed U.S. Sen. Roland Burris on Saturday as they continued their corruption investigation of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, according to a person familiar with th...
2009 Feb 24 US Senator Dick Durbin asks Roland Burris to resign Burris refuses
Sen. Dick Durbin said today that he told Sen. Roland Burris that, if Durbin were in Burris' shoes, he would resign. But Burris, the junior and appointed senator from Illinois, told the...
2009 Feb 25 Attorney General Madigan issues opinion to cut Burris's term short with special election
"It is my opinion that the legislature may pass a law allowing the people of Illinois to elect a U.S. senator to fill the seat vacated by President Barack Obama. Such a law would be consis..." —Illinois Attorney General's Office
2009 Feb 26 Revelation that Roland Burris's Son was offered job by Blagojevich
BURRIS' SON GOT STATE JOB FROM BLAGO SCANDAL MUSHROOMS | He serves as housing authority counsel despite facing foreclosure on his own home The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris is a...
2009 Mar 1 Sen Dick Durbin D-IL suggests race was a factor in seating Burris
Sen. Dick Durbin, who advised Sen. Roland Burris last week to step down from the Senate, acknowledged Sunday that racial considerations were at play in the decision by majority Democrats ...
2009 Mar 2 Alexi Giannoulias opens exploratory bid for US Senate
"Some days you wake up and you say 'I feel like I can do a much better job than the person who's in there now." —Alexi Giannoulias
2009 Mar 6 Burris associate contradicts Senator's January 5th sworn statement
""There is more to be discovered. I know the key to finding the information out is through Fred (Lebed). That's the main point I wish to get across." —John Ruff
2009 Mar 7 Roland Burris hands over his side of story to Sangamon County State's Attorney
A document U.S. Sen. Roland Burris promised would explain how he got appointed by then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been sent to a prosecutor investigating perjury charges, the senator's att...
2009 Mar 19 Senator Dick Durbin testifies in both the Illinois state and Senate Ethics Committee investigations of Roland Burris
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was interviewed Wednesday by the Senate Ethics Committee in its investigation of Sen. Roland Burris, appointed by now-ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fil...
2009 Mar 20 Roland Burris sets up legal defense fund
Confronted with anticipated legal bills of upwards of $400,000, Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) is setting up a defense fund to solicit contributions to defray the costs of his struggle to ga...
2009 Apr 19 Roland Burris holds first fundraiser as US Senator
Burris fundraising total: $845 U.S. Senator Roland Burris, the controversial appointee to the seat once held by President Barack Obama, is holding his first campaign fundraiser since h...
2009 May 26 Transcript of phone call between Roland Burris and Robert Blagojevich released to Senate Ethics Committee
"I will personally do something OK? And it will come to you before the 15th of December." —Roland Burris
2009 May 27 Chris Matthews grills Roland Burris on "Hardball"
2009 May 28 Roland Burris writing his memoirs, may title it "Empty Seat"
Burris is working on writing his memoir and already has a chapter written. It talks about Burris' phone call with Former Governor Rod Blagojevich's brother. On the federal wiretap tape...
2009 Jun 1 Political ethics group Democracy 21 calls for public hearings on Burris senatorial appointment
The ethics watchdog group "Democracy 21" is calling on the Senate ethics committee to hold public hearings on the circumstances surrounding the appointment of U.S. Sen. Roland Burris. Bu...
2009 Jun 9 Washington Post calls for Roland Burris' resignation
WE DON'T know where to begin with the latest mess that has ensnared Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.). No, "ensnared" isn't the right word. That would imply that he's blameless for his troub...
2009 Jun 10 John Ruff, key figure in Roland Burris perjury investigation, dies in car accident
A key figure in the perjury investigation of U.S. Sen. Roland Burris died in an automobile accident Monday, authorities in far west-suburban Kendall County confirmed Tuesday. John Ruff...
2009 Jun 12 Rasmussen poll reveals 61% of people would likely vote against Roland Burris in a 2010 election
Sixty-one percent (61%) ofIllinois voters now say they would definitely vote against Democratic Senator Roland Burris if he runs for a full term in 2010, according to a new Rasmussen Repo...
2009 Jun 12 Senate Ethics Panel to send written questions to Roland Burris
The Senate Ethics Committee probe of Sen. Roland Burris is moving to its next phase, seeking information from Burris himself, after having interviewed Sen. Dick Durbin and Senate Majority...
2009 Jun 15 Sangamon County state's attorney interviews Sen. Roland Burris in probe of testimony
The Sangamon County state's attorney has interviewed Sen. Roland Burris in a probe into the senator's testimony before a legislative panel looking into his appointment by Gov. Rod Blagoje...
2009 Jun 17 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan being prodded to run for Roland Burris's Senate Seat
The Obama White House is pushing to have Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan run for the U.S. Senate; she was at the White House last Friday meeting with President Obama, Chief of Staf...
2009 Jun 18 US Senate passes resolution to Apologize for Slavery
The Senate passed a resolution Thursday calling on the United States to apologize officially for the enslavement and segregation of millions of African-Americans and to acknowledge "the f...
2009 Jun 19 Roland Burris cleared of perjury charges by Sangamon (IL) County State's Attorney
Sangamon County State's Attorney John Schmidt declined to press perjury charges against U.S. Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) stemming from allegations he misled a legislative panel about the ...
2009 Jun 22 Roland Burris opposes Military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy
Sen. Roland Burris helped kick off Gay Pride Week by voicing his opposition to discrimination against gays and lesbians in the military. He joined gay veterans and other members of Equ...
2009 Jun 25 Roland Burris failed to reveal ownership of stock options in Inland Real Estate Corporation
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) failed to reveal in a Senate financial disclosure statement that he has options to buy 8,000 shares of stock in a real estate investment company where he ...
2009 Jun 28 40th Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade
Grand Marshal of this year's parade is actor, teacher and activist, Alexandra Billings. She will be riding in a classic car near the front of the parade procession. (see elsewhere on this...
2009 Jul 1 Dr. Eric Wallace announces candidacy for Obama's senate seat now held by Roland Burris
Black conservative joins the race for Obama’s US Senate seat ImageWallace For Illinois FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 1, 2009 Black conservative joins the race for Obama’s US Senat...
2009 Jul 2 Cheryle Jackson opens an exploratory committee for Illinois Senate bid
Cheryle Jackson, the president of the Chicago Urban League, is moving closer to a run for the U.S. Senate, opening an exploratory committee this week. Jackson told me she will decide i...
2009 Jul 5 Illinois Republican Congressman Mark Kirk raises more than $580,000 in second quarter 2009
Illinois Republican Rep. Mark Steven Kirk raised more than $580,000 in this year's second quarter and has more than $1 million in his campaign account -- funds he could use for a U.S. Sen...
2009 Jul 8 Lisa Madigan decides not to run for Senate or Illinois Governor
Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan chose the political path of least resistance today, preserving her chance to ask voters for a promotion down the road, when state finances might be better...
2009 Jul 8 US Rep Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL) will run for US Senate, sources say
Rep. Mark Steven Kirk will run for the Senate next year, a Republican source confirmed Wednesday. Kirk’s willingness to give up his House seat is a sign that the GOP will seriously com...
2009 Jul 10 Roland Burris decides not to run in 2010
Illinois Senator Roland Burris, appointed to his position by impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich, decides not to run for election in 2010.
2009 Jul 17 Don Lowery of Dixon Springs to run for Roland Burris' US Senate (IL)
A retired southern Illinois judge says he wants to be a U.S. senator. Sixty-two-year-old Don Lowery of Dixon Springs in Pope County says he'll be running as a Republican for the Senate...
2009 Jul 20 US Rep (R-IL) Mark Kirk announces Senate Run
"We're just a laughingstock in Washington." —Mark Kirk
2009 Nov 20 Roland Burris admonished by US Senate Select Committee on Ethics
"While the [Senate Ethics] Committee did not find that the evidence before it supported any actionable violations of law, Senators must meet a much higher standard of conduct. Your sworn ..." —US Senate Select Committee on Ethics
2009 Nov 20 Senate Ethics Panel Admonishes Senator Burris for Conduct During Contentious Appointment, but Does Not Seek Further Punishment
In a letter of "qualified admonition" to Burris, the panel said it found he had provided "incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information" about his appointment. "While t...
2009 Dec 22 Roland Burris recites reworked "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Senate floor
Sen. Roland Burris has had quite a 2009 – going from one time Illinois Attorney General to Rod Blagojevich-appointed U.S. Senator. How do you cap off the whirlwind year? A little healt...