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Feb 26, 2009 1:30 pm US/Central
Illinois Gov. Probes State's Hiring Of Burris' Son
Embattled Senator's Son Landed Job 5 Months Ago Under Ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Senator Roland Burris (D-IL), with his attorney Timothy Wright III, addresses allegations at a news conference that he lied under oath during the Illinois House impeachment hearings Feb. 15, 2009, in Chicago, Ill.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris landed a job with the Illinois Housing Development Authority five months ago under the administration of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and the younger Burris' status is under review.
Gov. Pat Quinn's office confirmed to CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago that Roland Burris II has been a $75,000-per-year senior counsel for the housing agency since September.
The younger Burris' status as a lawyer in state government is now "under review" by the governor's Chief of Staff and General Counsel, Quinn's office told WBBM early Thursday afternoon. The review is part of an overall review of all lawyers under the governor, representatives said.
Gov. Pat Quinn said Thursday that his office is reviewing how Burris' son got the job to "make sure everything is right and proper."
"I think the matter deserves serious review, and quickly," he said.
Quinn noted the housing authority makes its own hiring decisions, but he said he might have some recommendations to make after looking into the issue.
The hiring of the younger Burris came six weeks after the Internal Revenue Service slapped him with a $34,163 tax lien and three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure lawsuit on his Chicago home.
The Housing Authority Administration oversees mortgage programs for low-income home buyers and anti-foreclosure initiatives.
Authority spokeswoman Rebecca Boykin told the Chicago Sun-Times that Burris II was given the job based on his qualifications and in response to a published job posting. But Senator Burris has said publicly that in the past, he lobbied Blagojevich to hire his son.
The senator is fending off calls for his resignation because of conflicting testimony he provided the House panel that drafted impeachment charges against Blagojevich.
Also Thursday, the Union League of Chicago called for Senator Burris to resign. The civic institution said it was the first time the group has called for a senator to quit. The group opposes government corruption and promotes government efficiency.
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), a top-ranking African-American House member, has called for Burris to call it quits after he finishes the two remaining years of his term. But Clyburn said he doesn't see any reason why Burris should quit before then.
But the Chicago City Council Black Caucus was scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday supporting Burris' decision not to resign.
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