- Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
- Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
- Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
- Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA)
- Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
- Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
- Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
- Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)
- Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
- Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
- Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
- Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
- Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
The 15 most corrupt members of Congress
Dishonorable mentions
Senate ethics panel reprimands Burris
By Paul Kane, The Washington Post
November 21, 2009
WASHINGTON — Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., has been admonished by the Senate ethics committee for his public comments about his appointment to the seat that was previously held by President Barack Obama.
In a three-page "public letter of qualified admonition" issued Friday, the committee formally reprimanded Burris for his denials — some made under oath — that he had tried to raise any campaign contributions for indicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Several weeks after making those statements, and after being sworn in to the Senate, Burris amended his sworn testimony to say that he had discussed trying to gather donations for Blagojevich's political committees.
A letter of admonition is the ethics committee's mildest form of rebuke.
Blagojevich appointed Burris to the Senate in December, after the governor was arrested by the FBI and accused of trying to sell the Senate seat.
The Senate ethics committee began what it called an "extensive investigation" of Burris 10 months ago. In summarizing its findings, the committee, made up of three Democrats and three Republicans, wrote to Burris, "You should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading or incomplete information to the public, the Senate, and those conducting legitimate inquiries into your appointment to the Senate."
Burris said Friday that the ethics letter cleared him because the panel noted that its investigation did not find "any actionable violations of law."
"I am pleased that after numerous investigations, this matter has finally come to a close. I thank the members of the Senate Ethics Committee for their fair and thorough review of this matter, and now look forward to continuing the important work ahead on behalf of the people of Illinois," Burris said in a statement.
Sen. Dick Durbin denounced his fellow Illinois Democrat in a statement Friday, saying that the panel had "found that Sen. Burris's actions have brought discredit on him and the Senate."