Sen. Burris won't face perjury charges

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 19 (UPI) -- Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., won't be charged with perjury in connection with the impeachment of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a prosecutor has decided.

Sangamon County State's Attorney John Schmidt says he won't press charges against Burris stemming from allegations he misled a special state legislative panel considering whether to recommend the impeachment of Blagojevich, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.

The panel questioned Burris about the circumstances surrounding his appointment by Blagojevich to fill the Senate seat left vacant when Barack Obama was elected U.S. president.

Schmidt said Burris's answers to the Illinois House Special Investigative Committee were "incomplete" and vague but did not rise to the level of a crime.

Schmidt launched an investigation after Burris changed his story several times regarding the number of conversations he had about Obama's Senate seat, the Chicago Tribune reported.

During the hearing, Burris mentioned only one contact with Blagojevich's former chief of staff but later acknowledged talking to the former governor's brother, who asked him to raise money for Blagojevich.