Burris Figured 'To Do Some Things' for Blago: Ex-Ally

John Ruff, a former associate of Roland Burris and his staff, is claiming Burris planned all along to make a trade with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich for the Senate seat he now holds. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Ruff, then a participant in the effort to get the seat for Burris, was told by Burris aide Fred Lebed, “We’ll have to do some things for the governor.”

Ruff says he’s come forward out of shame for participating in the lawsuit to seat Burris, and has produced telephone records showing dozens of conversations with Lebed. Lebed acknowledges that they talked but denies the allegations. Instead, Ruff is angry Burris didn’t hire him, says Lebed, who has a tape of Ruff saying, “You can all kiss my (expletive) ass.”
(More Roland Burris stories.)