Burris Maintains Innocence, Defends Statements in FBI Wiretap Transcript

Illinois Sen. Roland Burris insisted Wednesday that he had no involvement in an alleged "pay to play" scheme with ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich, one day after the FBI released a transcript in which Burris said he would "personally do something" to help the governor's campaign.

"I know I could give him a check," Burris was quoted as saying in a Nov. 13 phone conversation with Rob Blagojevich, the governor's brother.

"Anything I give would be out of my personal funds," Burris said, while stating his wish to fill President Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat.

Burris' comments in the transcript are a stark contrast to his Jan. 8 testimony before the Illinois impeachment committee during which he failed to mention that Blagojevich's brother solicited him for donations to the governor's campaign.

Burris filed an affidavit with the panel four weeks later, noting that Rob Blagojevich asked him to help the campaign, but that he did not promise to pay Blagojevich any money.

But the FBI transcript shows a different story.

"If you guys can just write checks that'd be fine," Rob Blagojevich said to Burris, to which the senator replied, "Okay, okay, well we, we, I, I will personally do something, okay."

When questioned about his comments on Wednesday, Burris said he realized after he hung up the phone that he could not contribute any personal funds.

"After I hung up the phone, I said I can't even do that," Burris told reporters Wednesday before leaving Chicago on a two-day tour of central Illinois.

The transcript also reveals that Burris agonized over wanting to help the governor while remaining a serious contender for the Senate seat.

"I'm trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment," Burris said, adding that he and Blagojevich will both "catch hell" if it looked like he "bought" the seat.

Burris ends the conversation by saying, "Tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya?"

"This is a story full of inconsistencies from day one," Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross told FOXNews.com on Wednesday, noting the discrepancies between Burris' testimony and the wiretap. "All this does is further support for the need for him to step down."

Cross, who is calling for the Senate Ethics Committee to conduct a full investigation, said Burris had "ample opportunity" to clarify the facts during his testimony and in his affidavit.

"It's the highest office in this country -- and there's only 100 of them -- and to mislead people speaks volumes about the type of guy he is," said Cross, a Republican.

"Getting a Senate seat and inquiries into when and who you spoke to about it, that's something you remember," former prosecutor Joey Jackson told FOX News.

"You don't go before the Illinois house and testify and you say nothing about anything regarding a conversation with his brother until you find out, 'hey, listen, maybe there are wiretaps out there. Maybe they caught the conversation,'" Jackson said. "He's changing his story."

But defense attorneys argue that Burris did not engage in any illegal transaction.

"Show me the smoking gun. If you don't have the smoking gun, let's move forward," said criminal defense attorney Tamara Holder, noting that Burris did not contribute any money to Blagojevich following the phone conversation.