Burris headlines

It returns, but how regularly?

Burris, Illinois senator under ethics probes, throws first fund-raiser on Sunday - Lynn Sweet

Embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) throws his first campaign fund-raiser Sunday afternoon in Chicago at N'Digo, 19 N. Sangamon.

Burris is raising money under the Burris 2010 banner, though it is quite uncertain whether Burris--appointed by the impeached and indicted Gov. Blagojevich--is going to run. Burris is also waiting for permission from the Senate to open a legal expense fund.

Burris holds first post-appointment fundraiser - Tribune

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, the controversial appointee to the seat once held by President Barack Obama, is holding his first campaign fundraiser since he took office today -- and the financial report he filed this week shows he could use some political donations.
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Hosted by several Chicago aldermen, a state senator and longtime supporters, today's fundraiser in Chicago is expected to attract about 50 to 100 potential donors, organizers said.

"It is almost like a friend-and-family thing," said Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th), one of the hosts. "I knew the senator incurred a huge, huge legal bill. He's a little behind" in terms of fundraising.

The Tribune reported last month that Burris has told colleagues he expects his legal costs to exceed $400,000. But Lyle said the money raised this weekend will go to Burris' campaign fund, not the legal defense fund he's hoping to create to defray legal bills that came with his struggle to gain his Senate seat. Burris is waiting for approval from the Senate ethics commission on the legal fund, said campaign fund spokeswoman Delmarie Cobb. Donations to the Senate fund are limited to $2,400, but a donor can give up to $10,000 to his legal defense fund.

Still no indication as of yet that he may run for re-election or not.

These last two items I had intended to post yesterday. They take a look at the income brought in by Burris & his wife as well as any plans to run for re-election.

Burris' Assets Totaled at Least $900,000 in 2008 - Chicagoist

Sen. Roland Burris and his wife had assets worth an estimated $906,000 to $1.8 million last year, according to a report Burris filed with the secretary of the U.S. Senate, which was provided to the Sun-Times before the document's public release next month.

The majority of the couple's net worth came from investment holdings. Burris also confirmed he owned a stake in land located near a proposed Native American casino site in Lynwood, a southern suburb. At the time the junior senator and others bought the land, Burris was lobbying for the approval of casino plans on behalf of the Ho-Chunk Nation tribe.

While the junior senator has publicly stated he cannot afford the mounting legal bills associated with his defense in the ongoing Blagojevich ethics probe and perjury investigation -- pegged at more than $111,000 by the Tribune -- Burris and his wife made $338,000 last year.

Burris worth $1.8 mil.? - Sun-Times

Apart from investment income, Burris reported his largest source of income was a $118,201 state pension -- a benefit paid as a result of his 16 years as Illinois' state comptroller and attorney general.

He also reported making $93,492 last year from the breakup of his lobbying firm, Burris & Lebed Consulting. Part of that came from 11 clients which each paid Burris at least $5,000 or more last year, spokesman Jim O'Connor said.

The clients included Comcast, the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, ACS Healthcare Solutions, Advocate Healthcare Systems, the village of Wheeling, Victory Gardens, Cybersettle, the Guaranteed Rate Mortgage Association, ASK Public Relations and Micro-Sun Technologies.

Burris said he received $61,600 in attorney's fees from the law firm Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, from which he resigned in December. He also disclosed $63,600 in director's fees from being on the board of Inland Real Estate Corp., a post he relinquished in January.

The only debt Burris cited was a mortgage with Chicago's Lakeside Bank. Burris said the five-year, 5.875 percent mortgage was for unspecified "undeveloped land."

Burris has 19% approval rating, but 2010 bid a 'possibility' - Sun-Times

The latest poll numbers could spell out a bleak future for embattled U.S. Sen. Roland Burris.

A new Rasmussen report shows Burris has a 19 percent favorable rating. And only about 4 percent of likely voters surveyed said they would definitely vote for the South Side Democrat, who was appointed by now-indicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Burris' media and political consultant Delmarie Cobb said that despite the senator's seemingly battered image and campaign war chest of only $845, running for re-election in 2010 is "still a possibility."

"If you see you're running upstream, you have to make a decision and say, 'Hey, this is not going to be the best thing for me,' " Cobb said. "But we're not there yet. We have no reason to believe that's where we're going to be in the next few months."

Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax had this to say about this story yesterday:

Then you’re blind, Ms. Cobb. Blind.