Gov. Quinn looks into Roland Burris II's employment
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Quinn ordered an investigation Thursday into how Sen. Roland Burris' son landed a state job, a move that follows a new Burris controversy that Republicans have dubbed "Kid Pro Quo."
The governor's decision to look into the hiring of Roland Burris II by the Blagojevich administration unfolded as Senate Democrats moved to put plans for a special election to replace Illinois' embattled junior senator in a legislative deep freeze.
(AP photos)
After a Chicago Sun-Times report detailing Burris II's hiring, Quinn dispatched his chief of staff and top lawyer to determine whether state employment rules were followed and whether Burris II was qualified for his $75,000-a-year job as senior counsel at the Illinois Housing Development Authority, an agency that oversees mortgage programs for low-income home buyers.
Burris' son landed the job last September, six weeks after being slapped with a $34,163 federal tax lien and three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure suit on his South Side house.
"I don't think I'm going to pre-judge things, but I think the matter deserves serious review, and it [should] be done very quickly," Quinn said.
The housing agency issued a statement on Burris II's hiring and released his resume showing he worked at a series of real estate investment firms, at a law firm that once bore his family's name and as deputy campaign manager for his father's failed 2002 gubernatorial bid.
"He has a wealth of experience in law and finance and comes to the authority with over 20 years of real estate and municipal bond experience," agency spokeswoman Rebecca Boykin said.
The flap adds another layer to the controversy surrounding Sen. Burris' appointment.
"Every time we think we can't possibly get embarrassed one more time, we do," said Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine), who labeled the controversy "Kid Pro Quo."