HR0112 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0112 LRB096 11598 GRL 22086 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

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

WHEREAS, While under oath, Burris responded to questioning regarding his communications with the governor or anyone closely related to the governor about the Senate appointment; and

WHEREAS, Burris was directly asked 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, Burris was directly asked if he had contact with six specific 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 advisors to Blagojevich, all of whom Burris had previously denied, under oath, that he had spoken to; 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 8, 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, 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 after the fact suggest that Burris did not tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth before the House Special Investigative Committee and violated his oath and potentially committed an act of perjury; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that United States Senator Roland Burris is hereby condemned and reprimanded by the Illinois House of Representatives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we strongly urge the United States Senate to view the obvious contradictions in Senator Burris' testimony and later statements as a reason for expulsion from the Senate; 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 we urge the Senate, sitting as a whole, to adopt this recommendation and take action to expel Roland Burris from its ranks; and be it further

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