WisPolitics Feature Burke Remarks 3 July 2002 Following are remarks made Wednesday night by Sen. Brian Burke, D-Milwaukee, on the floor of the Senate. These are Burke's first public comments since being charged on 18 felony counts. For background on the case, click here: http://www.wispolitics.com/freeser/features/f0207/f02070102.html "...I have never profited from public service.... And let me say this as clearly as possible; I haven't done anything wrong. I've never participated in pay-to-play politics. I've never been part of a quid pro quo. If you have any questions look at my voting record. I've been on the top of the (Environmental Decade's) `Clean 16' list every session I've been in the Senate, and I'll be in the top of that list again this session. Anyone who knows me, even casually, knows how much I care about my wife and my three daughters (ages 17, 14 and 11). My wife Patty and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary next month. ... I cannot begin to understand the motives of a prosecutor who wants to destroy my family to further his own interests. I was a prosecutor once myself, and I prosecuted violent street crime in Milwaukee. My boss was Mike McCann, and he always told us that the duty of the district attorney is to seek justice. ...Well certainly Mr. Blanchard in Dane County is no Mike McCann. I can't begin to understand the motives of a prosecutor who has abused the John Doe process. Who himself had his nomination papers for district attorney printed at taxpayer expense while he waited, physically waited, in the Senate Democratic Caucus. And then he lied about his involvement. He said he didn't know it was a state office. He didn't see the sign on the door. Apparently he missed the huge seal of the State of Wisconsin. He claims he didn't know it was a state office, with a state employee, using state equipment to prepare his campaign materials at state expense. He did precisely what he has accused others of doing. And it was not an isolated incident, as he now claims. His contact with the caucus was far more than he has admitted. Someone in the media should ask Ameritech to provide a copy of the calls from the former Senate Democratic Caucus to his personal number at his law firm during the 2000 campaign. He received constant advice from the former Senate Caucus director. And take a look at his campaign finance reports. The contact number for Mr. Blanchard on the campaign finance reports -- right next to his signature on the campaign finance reports filed for his campaign in the year 2000 -- that is the same number as the number for Independent Citizens for Democracy. ...That's the group that laundered funds from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Now Mr. Blanchard has threatened and bullied state employees to the extent that some have felt the need to lie to protect themselves. But nobody's investigating Mr. Blanchard. He's apparently his own judge and jury. The irony is that my family is being destroyed because my well-earned reputation for honestly serving the people of Wisconsin. That's why he's targeted me. Well, I haven't broken the law. But we know his campaign used state resources -- right from the start. It's also sadly ironic that when it's finally demonstrated that I've done nothing wrong, it will be too late. You can't undo the agony that he's already put my family through. But I don't want to end my remarks or my career on a negative note. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve my constituents and the people of the State of Wisconsin, and I appreciate the opportunity to have served with each and every one of you. And I've struggled with this, but I think that the message for my daughters is that no matter how difficult the past few months have been, public service remains a noble profession. And good will ultimately triumph over evil. We must keep that hope alive. Thank you very much.'' (Applause from colleagues)