HR0093 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0093 LRB096 11220 RCE 21623 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On January 8, 2009, the current junior United States Senator from Illinois, Roland Wallace Burris, testified under oath to the House Special Investigative Committee on the circumstances connected to his appointment to the Senate by former Governor Rod Blagojevich; and

WHEREAS, While under oath, Burris responded to questioning from Representative Jim Durkin; and

WHEREAS, Representative Durkin asked Burris whether he had spoken about the Senate appointment with anyone "closely related to the governor, including family members or lobbyists connected with him"; and

WHEREAS, In asking Burris this question, Representative Durkin listed six enumerated individuals connected with Governor Blagojevich; and

WHEREAS, Speaking under oath, Burris answered this question in the negative; and

WHEREAS, In an affidavit dated February 4, 2009, and submitted to the chairperson of the House Special Investigative Committee, Burris sought to revise and extend his January 8 testimony to the Committee; and

WHEREAS, In this February 4th affidavit, Burris for the first time revealed conversations with five enumerated close advisors to Blagojevich, all of whom had been named in Durkin's question to him, and with whom Burris had previously denied, under oath, that he had spoken; and

WHEREAS, At the January 8, 2009 hearing of the House Special Investigative Committee, several representatives asked Burris whether there had been any "quid pro quo" involved in Blagojevich's decision to appoint Burris to the United States Senate; and

WHEREAS, Speaking under oath, Burris on January 8th answered these questions in the negative; and

WHEREAS, On February 16 and 17, 2009, Burris made public statements admitting to having discussed taking on a fundraising role for the former Governor; and

WHEREAS, On February 17, 2009, Burris, speaking in Peoria, Illinois, admitted to reporters that he had "called some people about trying to see if we could put a fundraiser together" for the former Governor; and

WHEREAS, The contradictions between these statements made by Burris under oath on January 8, 2009, and affidavits and statements made by Burris since that time, raise questions about Burris's veracity that have been referred to Sangamon County State's Attorney John Schmidt for possible prosecution for perjury; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Ethics Committee of the United States Senate should conduct a thorough inquiry into the ethical questions raised by the process through which Senator Roland Wallace Burris was appointed by former Governor Rod Blagojevich to the United States Senate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this inquiry should include, but not be limited to, the fact pattern briefly described in this preamble and resolution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That if the members of the Senate Ethics Committee believe, after an inquiry into the facts of this case, that their duty requires them to recommend that the Senate use the power granted by Section 5 of Article I of the Constitution of the United States of America to expel a member from their ranks by two-thirds vote, that the Senate, sitting as a whole, adopt this recommendation and take action to expel Senator Roland Wallace Burris; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, if this event takes place, that the State of Illinois enact suitable legislation to enable the people of the State to select a new senator by special Statewide election of the people; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this preamble and resolution be presented to the Illinois delegation to the federal House of Representatives and to the senior and junior federal Senators from the State of Illinois.