Roland Burris
Encyclopedia
Roland Wallace Burris is a former United States Senator
from the state
of Illinois
and a member of the Democratic Party
.
In 1978, Burris was the first African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois
, when he was elected Illinois Comptroller. He served in that office until his election as Illinois Attorney General
in 1990. Since then, he has run for office four more times unsuccessfully.
Burris was appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
to replace President-Elect
Barack Obama
as the junior senator from Illinois. The appointment was controversial, as the governor was already under investigation and there were rumors of his being paid for the appointment. Prior to Burris's appointment, Obama was the U.S. Senate's only African American
; he resigned his Senate seat after being elected President of the United States
. Burris was the subject of an ethics probe.
Calls for Burris's resignation from the Senate began after allegations were made that he had lied under oath
about his contacts with associates of Blagojevich prior to his appointment. The Sangamon County
State's Attorney's office and the Senate Ethics Committee are each investigating whether Burris perjured himself in his testimony before an Illinois House of Representatives committee in connection with the Blagojevich impeachment proceedings. On ABC
's World News with Charles Gibson
on May 27, 2009, a recording was played of Burris's conversation with Rod Blagojevich in which Burris is allegedly heard to be negotiating on the price for receiving Obama's Senate seat. Ethics charges were dropped against Burris in late June 2009, due to a lack of supporting evidence. The Senate Ethics Committee issued a letter on November 20, 2009, which, while admonishing him, stated that no ethics charges would be pursued. Although Burris did not run for election in November 2010, he fought a legal battle to retain his appointed Senate seat until January, commenting that the special election held in November to fill out the final weeks of his term was "totally unconstitutional", and that "the judge is selecting the candidates".
Burris was born and raised in the small community of Centralia
in southern Illinois. The Burris family can trace their roots to American slaves
in the American South, mainly in the states of Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. He was a 1955 graduate of Centralia High School. He attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale
, receiving a Bachelor of Arts
degree in political science
in 1959. He was an exchange student on scholarship to study International Law
at the University of Hamburg
in Germany
. He earned his Juris Doctor
degree from the Howard University School of Law
in 1963.
Burris is married to Berlean M. Burris and is the father of two adult children, Rolanda S. Burris, and Roland W. Burris II. He also has a grandson, Roland T. Burris.
Burris has built a mausoleum for himself in Oak Woods Cemetery
on Chicago's South Side
. His tombstone proclaims, "TRAIL BLAZER", and includes a list of his accomplishments, with space left for future ones.
Senator Burris is a Life Member of the Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity. During his tenure in the Senate, Burris was the only Black American in the U.S. Senate.
for the U.S. Treasury Department
. In that capacity, he traveled throughout the Midwest
, examining banks in Illinois
, Indiana
, Michigan
and Wisconsin
. From 1964 to 1973, he worked at Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company
(now Bank of America
), serving as tax accountant, tax consultant, commercial banking officer, and vice-president. He headed a commercial group that covered government guaranteed loans and minority business banking.
In 1973, he was appointed by Illinois Governor Dan Walker
as Director of the Department of Central Management Services, serving through 1977.
He was National Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for Operation PUSH
from January to October 1977. He was in private law practice from October 1977 to January 1979, and again from June 1995 to present.
In 1985, Burris was selected for the position of Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
. This decision, coming on the heels of the party's landslide loss to President Ronald Reagan
, generated controversy, since Gary, Indiana Mayor Richard Hatcher, who had served as the campaign manager for presidential candidate Jesse L. Jackson, was the nominee of the party's Black Caucus. Jackson harshly criticized the party's actions, and refused to recognize Burris's selection, claiming that it was part of an effort by the Democratic Party leadership to pander to the white American
electorate.
. In 1978 Bakalis did not seek re-election as Comptroller, choosing to run for Governor and Burris won the Comptrollership. Burris served for three terms from 1979–1990. He was the first African American
to be elected to a statewide office in the state of Illinois. While serving as Comptroller, Burris was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1984, losing to Paul Simon
who went on to defeat incumbent Senator Charles Percy
.
From 1991 to 1995, he was Attorney General for the State of Illinois, where he supervised over 500 lawyers. There, he was the second African American ever to be elected to a state office of Attorney General
in the United States
. In 1985, 19-year old Rolando Cruz
was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death along with a co-defendant in a DuPage County Circuit Court, for the kidnapping, rape, and murder
of a 10-year old child. In 1992, Assistant Attorney General Mary Brigid Kenney, whom Burris had assigned to fight Cruz's appeal, sent Burris a memo identifying numerous errors in the investigation and trial in Cruz's initial conviction, and refusing to participate in upholding what she considered to be a wrongful conviction. Burris ignored Kenney's warnings, and she resigned in protest, writing to Burris, "I was being asked to help execute an innocent man... Unfortunately, you have seen fit to ignore the evidence in this case".
In September 1995, DNA tests showed that neither Cruz nor his co-defendant were the contributors of the semen found at the crime scene, thus exonerating
them. In 2002 Governor George Ryan
fully pardoned Cruz, and went on to declare a moratorium on the death penalty
in Illinois, asserting that the system was "fraught with error".
In 1993, Burris, an advocate for a national handgun
ban, helped to organize Chicago's first Gun Turn-in Day. The following year, Burris admitted that he kept a handgun in his home and had not turned it into police as he had urged others to do. A spokesman stated that Burris had "forgotten about" the handgun.
In 1994, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Illinois
. While Burris had been favored for much of the primary campaign, he and Cook County
Board President Richard Phelan
were both defeated by Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch
, who had a strong late showing in the final weeks of the campaign despite being seen as the underdog
. Netsch would go down to defeat the following November against incumbent Republican Governor Jim Edgar
in an election where Democrats lost every single race for statewide office.
In 1995, Burris ran as an independent for mayor of Chicago
, losing to incumbent Richard M. Daley
. In 1998, he again unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party
nomination for Governor of Illinois. In that race, Burris caused a controversy by referring to his Democratic primary opponents — Jim Burns, Glenn Poshard
(who eventually won the nomination) and John Schmidt
— as "nonqualified white boys". During his 2002 run for governor against, among others, Rod Blagojevich
, he was supported by, among others, current President
Barack Obama
.
, political strategies, and corporate strategies. He also serves of counsel
to the law firm of Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan, L.L.C. His areas of legal concentration are business transactions, estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, and consumer affairs.
As of 2008, Burris was on the Board of Directors of the Inland Real Estate Corporation as an Independent Director and was Chairman of its Governance and Nominating Committee. Inland is a $2 billion Real Estate Investment Trust
(REIT), listed on the NYSE, which owns medium-sized shopping centers. As an Independent Director, he served on the Audit Committee.
He also briefly served as an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Public Administration
Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
.
Burris was featured briefly in a scene from the Hollywood blockbuster, The Fugitive
, starring Harrison Ford
. A scene in the movie, which was mainly shot in Chicago, shows Burris in the St. Patrick's day parade, waving to spectators.
seat vacated by President
Barack Obama
, saying he would not run for reelection if appointed. Prior to this suggestion, Governor Blagojevich had been considering asking Oprah Winfrey
but feared she would not take his call. This suggestion came in the wake of an FBI
investigation regarding charges of corruption against the Governor for seeking bribes in a pay-to-play scheme for the empty Senate seat and other offenses. Blagojevich says he appointed Burris because he believed Burris's ego made him the only person who would fight to be seated.
Burris filed a sworn-affidavit on January 5, in advance of his testimony before the Illinois impeachment committee, in which he wrote that "prior to the December 26, 2008, telephone call from Mr. Adams Jr., there was not any contact between myself or any of my representatives with Governor Blagojevich or any of his representatives regarding my appointment to the United States Senate". However, according to the FBI wiretap transcript recorded November 13, Burris told Rob Blagojevich, who was the chairman of the ex-governor's reelection campaign, that he understood that Blagojevich wanted money and that he was "trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment", and that he was willing to "personally do something", including offering to give the governor a personal check. He realized, however, that such an action might look like he was trying to buy the seat and wanted to find a way to avoid that perception.
On December 30, 2008, Governor Blagojevich announced that he was naming
Burris to the seat. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White
registered the appointment in the official records of Illinois on December 31, 2008. However, Secretary of State White declined to sign the Senate's certification form.
On January 5, 2009, Secretary of the United States Senate
Nancy Erickson
rejected Burris's certificate of appointment to the Senate as invalid. Erickson cited Senate Rule 2
as the reason for the rejection. Senate Rule 2 requires that an appointment be certified by both a state's governor and the state's secretary of state
. Because Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White
had refused to sign the certificate, Erickson concluded in her findings that the certificate did not conform to Senate Rule 2. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
and Illinois senior senator Dick Durbin agreed with Erickson that a Senate rule demands that the secretary of state sign the appointment.
Reid initially said that the Senate would not seat Burris, citing Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution, which states that "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members". Reid and other senators had previously stated, before Burris was in contention, that they would use Article I authority against any appointment by Blagojevich. The Senate also could have referred the appointment to the Senate Rules Committee
, thus stalling it until Blagojevich's status was settled. Some Democrats, including the chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, Dianne Feinstein
, and the Congressional Black Caucus
, spoke out in favor of Burris being seated.
Burris appeared in Washington at the January Congressional swearing-in ceremony (January 6) to claim his seat, but was denied entry into the Senate chambers. Burris and his lawyers insisted that Burris was "now the junior senator from the state of Illinois", though he was technically not a senator and could not be one until being administered the oath of office.
On January 9, 2009, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the appointment only required the signature of the governor; the secretary of state's signature is not required to make the appointment valid. It also said Illinois is not obligated to use, and hence its Secretary of State is not required to sign, the Senate's "recommended" certification form. The State Supreme Court noted that a different form was available: White had already registered the appointment in Illinois's official records, and Illinois law requires the Secretary of State to provide a certified copy, with signature and seal, of any of the state's official records to anyone willing to pay the fee. It suggested that Burris simply obtain a certified copy of the appointment registration. In its Burris v. White ruling the State Supreme Court not only declared that the form of certificate contained in rule II of the Standing Rules of the United States Senate was, according to its own terms, only a recommended form but it further remarked that "no explanation has been given as to how any rule of the Senate, whether it be formal or merely a matter of tradition, could supersede the authority to fill vacancies conferred on the states by the federal constitution". Following the ruling, White provided Burris with a certified copy of the appointment's registration, and Burris delivered that copy, bearing the State Seal, to the Secretary of the Senate
. On January 12, 2009, after the Secretary of the Senate announced that she and the Senate Parliamentarian
deemed Burris's new credentials valid, Senate leaders decided to seat Burris. Burris was sworn in by President of the Senate Dick Cheney
on January 15, 2009.
Burris filed a sworn affidavit with the Illinois House committee that oversaw Governor Blagojevich’s impeachment, dated February 4, to supplement his earlier answer to a question posed by the committee. Burris acknowledged Rod Blagojevich requested "assistance in fund-raising" for the governor three times in the weeks and months before Blagojevich appointed Burris. Illinois House Republicans consider this to be at odds with Burris's testimony during the impeachment trial, and are considering pursuing a perjury investigation. Democratic officials, including Illinois Attorney General
Lisa Madigan
, support an investigation. Burris stated that he told the governor's brother Rob Blagojevich that he could not donate to Gov. Blagojevich because "it could be viewed as an attempt to curry favor with him regarding his decision to appoint a successor to President Obama", and that he "did not raise or donate any funds to Governor Blagojevich after the fundraiser on June 27, 2008".
On February 16, in comments to reporters, Burris told reporters that the governor's brother had asked him to raise ten- to fifteen-thousand dollars for the governor in October 2008. Burris said that after the phone call, he "talked to some people about trying to see if we could put a fund-raiser on", but that no one was willing to donate to the governor. Burris says he spoke again with the governor's brother around November 10 to tell him that his earlier efforts to raise money were unsuccessful, but that he might be able to talk other people into donating about a thousand dollars to the governor. Burris also said that around November 15 or 16, he told the governor's brother that he could not raise any money for the governor, nor would he donate to the governor himself.
On February 17, Sangamon County
State's Attorney's Office released a statement saying that it is investigating Burris for possible perjury charges connected to his testimony to the panel of the Illinois House of Representatives investigating the governor's impeachment. The Senate Ethics Committee also reportedly was preparing a preliminary investigation into the matter.
On February 18, the Chicago Tribune
, the state's largest newspaper, called on Burris to resign. In the editorial, the board wrote, "His protests that he had nothing to hide just don't square with his obvious attempts to hide something." The editorial board of The Washington Post also called for his resignation saying Burris's story has more twists than the Chicago 'L'
because Burris had offered five varying explanations — three of them under oath — of his contacts with associates of Blagojevich. Burris is refusing to resign his seat, despite calls to do so from new Illinois governor Pat Quinn
and statements from fellow Illinois Senator Dick Durbin that Durbin would not support a Burris re-election bid.
On March 7, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Sangamon County
State's Attorney
John Schmidt has asked the FBI for tapes of wiretapped phone calls between Burris and Rod Blagojevich, which he will use for his investigation of whether to charge Burris with perjury.
On May 26, 2009, tapes were released from the wire taps. Roland Burris promised to "personally do something" for Blagojevich's campaign. "Tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya?"
"Okay, okay, well we, we, I, I will personally do something, okay", Burris says.
During the conversation, Burris and Blagojevich discussed the possibility that Burris might raise campaign money on a larger scale.
"I know I could give him a check", Burris said. "Myself."
The Associated Press reported a few days after the revelation: "When asked in a recent interview with The Associated Press how the scandal back home has affected him, Burris made a sweeping gesture with his hands and literally brushed the matter aside."
On May 28, 2009, Democratic Illinois Rep. Jack Franks and Republican Rep. Jim Durkin
, the ranking Republican on the impeachment panel who had questioned Burris during his January 8 testimony, claimed that Burris committed perjury and called for him to be removed from office. In 2009, Senator Burris was named one of the 15 Most Corrupt Members of Congress by good-government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
.
Sangamon County State's Attorney John Schmidt announced on June 19, 2009, that Burris would not face criminal perjury charges, stating that Burris's promise to "personally do something" for Governor Blagojevich was too vague to rise to the level of criminality, as it could be interpreted in too many different ways. Burris praised the announcement, saying, "The truth has prevailed"; meanwhile, Durkin criticized Schmidt's decision, saying, "They're all contradictions to his previously sworn statements. To me, it's a pretty strong case."
The Senate Ethics Committee issued a letter on November 20, 2009, admonishing him saying that although no ethics charges would be pursued, “The Committee found that you should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading, or incomplete information to the public, the Senate and those conducting legitimate inquiries into your appointment to the Senate.”
The fund went into deficits beginning in 2001 leading to a revocation of the IFDA license in September 2007 and a $59 million deficit by October 2008. Burris acted as a lobbyist for the IFDA trust during early 2007 through 2008. Burris has refused comment on the scandal citing "it was 30 years ago". Consequently, a group of funeral directors (plaintiffs in a suit filed January 2009 against the IFDA alleging a Ponzi scheme
) have subpoenaed Burris to find out his involvement during his time as lobbyist. The lawsuit is currently ongoing.
records, on January 2, 2009, prior to the controversy regarding his conflicting explanations of his fundraising activity on behalf of Blagojevich, Burris signed a statement of candidacy for the 2010 election
. Durbin stated that "it would be extremely difficult for him to be successful", and on April 16, the Chicago Tribune reported that Burris had raised only $845 for his campaign. On July 9, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Senator Burris would not run for election in 2010, and Burris made an official announcement in Chicago on July 10 that he would retire after his replacement term ended in 2011. Burris' term ended on November 29, 2010, with the swearing-in of his elected successor, Mark Kirk
. He cited the high cost of running a campaign as a major reason for not seeking election, saying he would rather continue to serve the people of Illinois than try to raise money for a campaign.
Civil Rights Commission (1993–1995), and the Illinois State Justice Commission (1994–1996). Burris was Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Illinois Government, President of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (1981–1982), and a Trustee for both the Financial Accounting Foundation
(1991–1994) and the Government Finance Officers Association of U.S. and Canada (1987–1991). He was a Member of the Board of the Better Business Bureau
(2008), the Auditorium Theater of Chicago (2001–2006), and the National Center for Responsible Gaming
(1996–2005).
Burris is also a rank and file member of the Howard University Law School Alumni Association, the Southern Illinois University Foundation, the Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago, the U.S. Jaycees, Chicago Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America
, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
, the Southern Illinois Alumni Association, Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity, the Western Consistory of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Free Masons
, and Sigma Pi Phi
Fraternity, Beta Boule.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
In 1978, Burris was the first African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, when he was elected Illinois Comptroller. He served in that office until his election as Illinois Attorney General
Illinois Attorney General
The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
in 1990. Since then, he has run for office four more times unsuccessfully.
Burris was appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
to replace President-Elect
President-elect
An -elect is a political candidate who has been elected to an office but who has not yet been sworn in or officially taken office. These may include an incoming president, senator, representative, governor and mayor.Analogously, the term "designate" An -elect is a political candidate who has been...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as the junior senator from Illinois. The appointment was controversial, as the governor was already under investigation and there were rumors of his being paid for the appointment. Prior to Burris's appointment, Obama was the U.S. Senate's only African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
; he resigned his Senate seat after being elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Burris was the subject of an ethics probe.
Calls for Burris's resignation from the Senate began after allegations were made that he had lied under oath
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
about his contacts with associates of Blagojevich prior to his appointment. The Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
State's Attorney's office and the Senate Ethics Committee are each investigating whether Burris perjured himself in his testimony before an Illinois House of Representatives committee in connection with the Blagojevich impeachment proceedings. On ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's World News with Charles Gibson
World News with Charles Gibson
ABC World News is the flagship daily evening program of ABC News, the news division of the American Broadcasting Company television network in the United States. Currently, the weekday editions are anchored by Diane Sawyer and the weekend editions are anchored by David Muir. The program has been...
on May 27, 2009, a recording was played of Burris's conversation with Rod Blagojevich in which Burris is allegedly heard to be negotiating on the price for receiving Obama's Senate seat. Ethics charges were dropped against Burris in late June 2009, due to a lack of supporting evidence. The Senate Ethics Committee issued a letter on November 20, 2009, which, while admonishing him, stated that no ethics charges would be pursued. Although Burris did not run for election in November 2010, he fought a legal battle to retain his appointed Senate seat until January, commenting that the special election held in November to fill out the final weeks of his term was "totally unconstitutional", and that "the judge is selecting the candidates".
Personal life and education
Centralia, Illinois
Centralia is a town located in Marion, Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 at the 2010 census. The town was founded because it was the point where the two original branches of the Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1853, converged....
in southern Illinois. The Burris family can trace their roots to American slaves
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
in the American South, mainly in the states of Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. He was a 1955 graduate of Centralia High School. He attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
, receiving a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1959. He was an exchange student on scholarship to study International Law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
at the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He earned his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law
Howard University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Howard University. Located in Washington, D.C., it is one the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black college or university law school in the United States...
in 1963.
Burris is married to Berlean M. Burris and is the father of two adult children, Rolanda S. Burris, and Roland W. Burris II. He also has a grandson, Roland T. Burris.
Burris has built a mausoleum for himself in Oak Woods Cemetery
Oak Woods Cemetery
Oak Woods Cemetery was established in 1854; it covers an area of and is located at 1035 E. 67th Street in Chicago. The first burials took place in 1860. Soon after the American Civil War, between four and six thousand Confederate soldiers, prisoners who died at Camp Douglas, were buried here...
on Chicago's South Side
South Side (Chicago)
The South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
. His tombstone proclaims, "TRAIL BLAZER", and includes a list of his accomplishments, with space left for future ones.
Senator Burris is a Life Member of the Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity. During his tenure in the Senate, Burris was the only Black American in the U.S. Senate.
Early career
After graduating from law school, Burris became National Bank Examiner for the Office of the Comptroller of the CurrencyOffice of the Comptroller of the Currency
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a US federal agency established by the National Currency Act of 1863 and serves to charter, regulate, and supervise all national banks and the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks in the United States...
for the U.S. Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
. In that capacity, he traveled throughout the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, examining banks in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. From 1964 to 1973, he worked at Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company
Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company
The Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company was at one time the seventh-largest bank in the United States as measured by deposits with approximately $40 billion in assets. In 1984, Continental Illinois became the largest ever bank failure in U.S. history, when a run on the bank led to...
(now Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
), serving as tax accountant, tax consultant, commercial banking officer, and vice-president. He headed a commercial group that covered government guaranteed loans and minority business banking.
In 1973, he was appointed by Illinois Governor Dan Walker
Dan Walker
Dan Meirion Walker is a British sports journalist. He is the current presenter of Football Focus, the BBC's Saturday lunchtime football show. He has also been seen presenting sport on the BBC News Channel and BBC Network News, as well as regularly reporting for Score, Football Focus and Match of...
as Director of the Department of Central Management Services, serving through 1977.
He was National Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for Operation PUSH
Rainbow/PUSH
Rainbow/PUSH is a non-profit organization formed as a merger of two non-profit organizations — Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition — founded by Jesse Jackson. The organizations pursue social justice, civil rights and political activism.In December 1971, Jackson resigned from...
from January to October 1977. He was in private law practice from October 1977 to January 1979, and again from June 1995 to present.
In 1985, Burris was selected for the position of Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
. This decision, coming on the heels of the party's landslide loss to President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, generated controversy, since Gary, Indiana Mayor Richard Hatcher, who had served as the campaign manager for presidential candidate Jesse L. Jackson, was the nominee of the party's Black Caucus. Jackson harshly criticized the party's actions, and refused to recognize Burris's selection, claiming that it was part of an effort by the Democratic Party leadership to pander to the white American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
electorate.
State politics
Burris sought the Democratic nomination for the office of Illinois Comptroller in 1976, but was defeated by Michael BakalisMichael Bakalis
Michael J. Bakalis is an American academic and politician. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Illinois in 1978, losing to incumbent Republican governor James R. Thompson....
. In 1978 Bakalis did not seek re-election as Comptroller, choosing to run for Governor and Burris won the Comptrollership. Burris served for three terms from 1979–1990. He was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to be elected to a statewide office in the state of Illinois. While serving as Comptroller, Burris was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1984, losing to Paul Simon
Paul Simon (politician)
Paul Martin Simon was an American politician from Illinois. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 and United States Senate from 1985 to 1997. He was a member of the Democratic Party...
who went on to defeat incumbent Senator Charles Percy
Charles H. Percy
Charles Harting "Chuck" Percy was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964. He was elected United States Senator from Illinois in 1966, re-elected through his term ending in 1985; he concentrated on business and foreign relations...
.
From 1991 to 1995, he was Attorney General for the State of Illinois, where he supervised over 500 lawyers. There, he was the second African American ever to be elected to a state office of Attorney General
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1985, 19-year old Rolando Cruz
Rolando Cruz case
In February 1985, a Hispanic man from Aurora, Illinois named Rolando Cruz and a co-defendant were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the 1983 kidnapping, rape, deviant sexual assault and murder of 10-year old Jeanine Nicarico in DuPage County Circuit Court despite the fact that the police...
was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death along with a co-defendant in a DuPage County Circuit Court, for the kidnapping, rape, and murder
Jeanine Nicarico murder case
The Jeanine Nicarico murder case was a complex and influential homicide investigation and prosecution in DuPage County, Illinois that sent two men to prison who were later exonerated and released, and contributed to the death penalty moratorium imposed by then-Governor George H...
of a 10-year old child. In 1992, Assistant Attorney General Mary Brigid Kenney, whom Burris had assigned to fight Cruz's appeal, sent Burris a memo identifying numerous errors in the investigation and trial in Cruz's initial conviction, and refusing to participate in upholding what she considered to be a wrongful conviction. Burris ignored Kenney's warnings, and she resigned in protest, writing to Burris, "I was being asked to help execute an innocent man... Unfortunately, you have seen fit to ignore the evidence in this case".
In September 1995, DNA tests showed that neither Cruz nor his co-defendant were the contributors of the semen found at the crime scene, thus exonerating
Exoneration
Exoneration occurs when a person who has been convicted of a crime is later proved to have been innocent of that crime. Attempts to exonerate convicts are particularly controversial in death penalty cases, especially where new evidence is put forth after the execution has taken place.The term...
them. In 2002 Governor George Ryan
George Ryan
George Homer Ryan, Sr. was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. Ryan became nationally known when in 2000 he imposed a moratorium on executions and "raised the national debate on capital punishment"...
fully pardoned Cruz, and went on to declare a moratorium on the death penalty
Capital punishment in the United States
Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
in Illinois, asserting that the system was "fraught with error".
In 1993, Burris, an advocate for a national handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
ban, helped to organize Chicago's first Gun Turn-in Day. The following year, Burris admitted that he kept a handgun in his home and had not turned it into police as he had urged others to do. A spokesman stated that Burris had "forgotten about" the handgun.
In 1994, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
. While Burris had been favored for much of the primary campaign, he and Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
Board President Richard Phelan
Richard Phelan (politician)
Richard J. Phelan is a politician from the US state of Illinois. Phelan is noted for his service as Cook County Board President from 1990-1994.-References:...
were both defeated by Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch
Dawn Clark Netsch
Dawn Clark Netsch is an Illinois professor of law and politician. A member of the Democratic Party in the United States, she served in the Illinois State Senate, as Illinois Comptroller and in 1994 was the first woman to be nominated by a major political party to run for Governor of...
, who had a strong late showing in the final weeks of the campaign despite being seen as the underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
. Netsch would go down to defeat the following November against incumbent Republican Governor Jim Edgar
Jim Edgar
James Edgar is an American politician who was the 38th Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999 and Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991. As a moderate Republican in a largely blue-leaning state, Edgar was a popular and successful governor, leaving office with high approval ratings...
in an election where Democrats lost every single race for statewide office.
In 1995, Burris ran as an independent for mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
, losing to incumbent Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
. In 1998, he again unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for Governor of Illinois. In that race, Burris caused a controversy by referring to his Democratic primary opponents — Jim Burns, Glenn Poshard
Glenn Poshard
Glenn Poshard is a former Illinois State Senator, U.S. Congressman, Gubernatorial Candidate, and is currently President of the Southern Illinois University system.-Early career:...
(who eventually won the nomination) and John Schmidt
John Schmidt
John Schmidt was United States Associate Attorney General from 1994 to 1997 under President Bill Clinton. He has risen to small fame of late for his support of President George W...
— as "nonqualified white boys". During his 2002 run for governor against, among others, Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
, he was supported by, among others, current President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Career outside of politics
Burris is manager/CEO of Burris & Lebed Consulting, LLC, which was formed in April 2002. It is a consulting service concentrating in public relations, lobbyingLobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
, political strategies, and corporate strategies. He also serves of counsel
Of counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...
to the law firm of Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan, L.L.C. His areas of legal concentration are business transactions, estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, and consumer affairs.
As of 2008, Burris was on the Board of Directors of the Inland Real Estate Corporation as an Independent Director and was Chairman of its Governance and Nominating Committee. Inland is a $2 billion Real Estate Investment Trust
Real estate investment trust
A real estate investment trust or REIT is a tax designation for a corporate entity investing in real estate. The purpose of this designation is to reduce or eliminate corporate tax. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income into the hands of investors...
(REIT), listed on the NYSE, which owns medium-sized shopping centers. As an Independent Director, he served on the Audit Committee.
He also briefly served as an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
.
Burris was featured briefly in a scene from the Hollywood blockbuster, The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
, starring Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
. A scene in the movie, which was mainly shot in Chicago, shows Burris in the St. Patrick's day parade, waving to spectators.
Senate appointment scandal
On December 14, 2008, Burris suggested himself as a possible caretaker for the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat vacated by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, saying he would not run for reelection if appointed. Prior to this suggestion, Governor Blagojevich had been considering asking Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
but feared she would not take his call. This suggestion came in the wake of an FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
investigation regarding charges of corruption against the Governor for seeking bribes in a pay-to-play scheme for the empty Senate seat and other offenses. Blagojevich says he appointed Burris because he believed Burris's ego made him the only person who would fight to be seated.
Burris filed a sworn-affidavit on January 5, in advance of his testimony before the Illinois impeachment committee, in which he wrote that "prior to the December 26, 2008, telephone call from Mr. Adams Jr., there was not any contact between myself or any of my representatives with Governor Blagojevich or any of his representatives regarding my appointment to the United States Senate". However, according to the FBI wiretap transcript recorded November 13, Burris told Rob Blagojevich, who was the chairman of the ex-governor's reelection campaign, that he understood that Blagojevich wanted money and that he was "trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment", and that he was willing to "personally do something", including offering to give the governor a personal check. He realized, however, that such an action might look like he was trying to buy the seat and wanted to find a way to avoid that perception.
On December 30, 2008, Governor Blagojevich announced that he was naming
Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...
Burris to the seat. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White
Jesse White (politician)
Jesse Clark White is a Democratic American politician. He is currently the 37th and second-longest serving Secretary of State of Illinois, after James A. Rose, and the first African American to hold this position....
registered the appointment in the official records of Illinois on December 31, 2008. However, Secretary of State White declined to sign the Senate's certification form.
On January 5, 2009, Secretary of the United States Senate
Secretary of the United States Senate
The Secretary of the Senate is an elected officer of the United States Senate. The Secretary supervises an extensive array of offices and services to expedite the day-to-day operations of that body...
Nancy Erickson
Nancy Erickson
Nancy Erickson is the current Secretary of the United States Senate. She began her term as Secretary on January 4, 2007 in the 110th Congress. Erickson was appointed by Democratic and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Prior to serving as Secretary of the Senate, Erickson served as the...
rejected Burris's certificate of appointment to the Senate as invalid. Erickson cited Senate Rule 2
Standing Rules of the United States Senate
The Standing Rules of the Senate are the rules of order adopted by the United States Senate that govern its procedure. The Senate's power to establish rules derives from Article One, Section 5 of the United States Constitution: "Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings..."There are...
as the reason for the rejection. Senate Rule 2 requires that an appointment be certified by both a state's governor and the state's secretary of state
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
. Because Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White
Jesse White (politician)
Jesse Clark White is a Democratic American politician. He is currently the 37th and second-longest serving Secretary of State of Illinois, after James A. Rose, and the first African American to hold this position....
had refused to sign the certificate, Erickson concluded in her findings that the certificate did not conform to Senate Rule 2. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
and Illinois senior senator Dick Durbin agreed with Erickson that a Senate rule demands that the secretary of state sign the appointment.
Reid initially said that the Senate would not seat Burris, citing Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution, which states that "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members". Reid and other senators had previously stated, before Burris was in contention, that they would use Article I authority against any appointment by Blagojevich. The Senate also could have referred the appointment to the Senate Rules Committee
United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration is responsible for the rules of the United States Senate, with administration of congressional buildings, and with credentials and qualifications of members of the Senate, including responsibility for dealing with contested elections.The committee...
, thus stalling it until Blagojevich's status was settled. Some Democrats, including the chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
, and the Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
, spoke out in favor of Burris being seated.
Burris appeared in Washington at the January Congressional swearing-in ceremony (January 6) to claim his seat, but was denied entry into the Senate chambers. Burris and his lawyers insisted that Burris was "now the junior senator from the state of Illinois", though he was technically not a senator and could not be one until being administered the oath of office.
On January 9, 2009, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the appointment only required the signature of the governor; the secretary of state's signature is not required to make the appointment valid. It also said Illinois is not obligated to use, and hence its Secretary of State is not required to sign, the Senate's "recommended" certification form. The State Supreme Court noted that a different form was available: White had already registered the appointment in Illinois's official records, and Illinois law requires the Secretary of State to provide a certified copy, with signature and seal, of any of the state's official records to anyone willing to pay the fee. It suggested that Burris simply obtain a certified copy of the appointment registration. In its Burris v. White ruling the State Supreme Court not only declared that the form of certificate contained in rule II of the Standing Rules of the United States Senate was, according to its own terms, only a recommended form but it further remarked that "no explanation has been given as to how any rule of the Senate, whether it be formal or merely a matter of tradition, could supersede the authority to fill vacancies conferred on the states by the federal constitution". Following the ruling, White provided Burris with a certified copy of the appointment's registration, and Burris delivered that copy, bearing the State Seal, to the Secretary of the Senate
Secretary of the United States Senate
The Secretary of the Senate is an elected officer of the United States Senate. The Secretary supervises an extensive array of offices and services to expedite the day-to-day operations of that body...
. On January 12, 2009, after the Secretary of the Senate announced that she and the Senate Parliamentarian
Parliamentarian of the United States Senate
The Parliamentarian of the United States Senate is the official advisor to the United States Senate on the interpretation of Standing Rules of the United States Senate and parliamentary procedure....
deemed Burris's new credentials valid, Senate leaders decided to seat Burris. Burris was sworn in by President of the Senate Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
on January 15, 2009.
Burris filed a sworn affidavit with the Illinois House committee that oversaw Governor Blagojevich’s impeachment, dated February 4, to supplement his earlier answer to a question posed by the committee. Burris acknowledged Rod Blagojevich requested "assistance in fund-raising" for the governor three times in the weeks and months before Blagojevich appointed Burris. Illinois House Republicans consider this to be at odds with Burris's testimony during the impeachment trial, and are considering pursuing a perjury investigation. Democratic officials, including Illinois Attorney General
Illinois Attorney General
The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
Lisa Madigan
Lisa Madigan
Lisa Madigan has been the 41st Attorney General of the US state of Illinois since 2003, when she became the first female attorney general for Illinois...
, support an investigation. Burris stated that he told the governor's brother Rob Blagojevich that he could not donate to Gov. Blagojevich because "it could be viewed as an attempt to curry favor with him regarding his decision to appoint a successor to President Obama", and that he "did not raise or donate any funds to Governor Blagojevich after the fundraiser on June 27, 2008".
On February 16, in comments to reporters, Burris told reporters that the governor's brother had asked him to raise ten- to fifteen-thousand dollars for the governor in October 2008. Burris said that after the phone call, he "talked to some people about trying to see if we could put a fund-raiser on", but that no one was willing to donate to the governor. Burris says he spoke again with the governor's brother around November 10 to tell him that his earlier efforts to raise money were unsuccessful, but that he might be able to talk other people into donating about a thousand dollars to the governor. Burris also said that around November 15 or 16, he told the governor's brother that he could not raise any money for the governor, nor would he donate to the governor himself.
On February 17, Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
State's Attorney's Office released a statement saying that it is investigating Burris for possible perjury charges connected to his testimony to the panel of the Illinois House of Representatives investigating the governor's impeachment. The Senate Ethics Committee also reportedly was preparing a preliminary investigation into the matter.
On February 18, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, the state's largest newspaper, called on Burris to resign. In the editorial, the board wrote, "His protests that he had nothing to hide just don't square with his obvious attempts to hide something." The editorial board of The Washington Post also called for his resignation saying Burris's story has more twists than the Chicago 'L'
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
because Burris had offered five varying explanations — three of them under oath — of his contacts with associates of Blagojevich. Burris is refusing to resign his seat, despite calls to do so from new Illinois governor Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (politician)
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...
and statements from fellow Illinois Senator Dick Durbin that Durbin would not support a Burris re-election bid.
On March 7, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
State's Attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
John Schmidt has asked the FBI for tapes of wiretapped phone calls between Burris and Rod Blagojevich, which he will use for his investigation of whether to charge Burris with perjury.
On May 26, 2009, tapes were released from the wire taps. Roland Burris promised to "personally do something" for Blagojevich's campaign. "Tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya?"
"Okay, okay, well we, we, I, I will personally do something, okay", Burris says.
During the conversation, Burris and Blagojevich discussed the possibility that Burris might raise campaign money on a larger scale.
"I know I could give him a check", Burris said. "Myself."
The Associated Press reported a few days after the revelation: "When asked in a recent interview with The Associated Press how the scandal back home has affected him, Burris made a sweeping gesture with his hands and literally brushed the matter aside."
On May 28, 2009, Democratic Illinois Rep. Jack Franks and Republican Rep. Jim Durkin
Jim Durkin
Jim Durkin is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 82nd District since 2006 when he was sworn in to replace Eileen Lyons after she retired mid-term. He was elected on November 8, 2006, defeating Democrat Kim Savage. Durkin previously represented the 44th...
, the ranking Republican on the impeachment panel who had questioned Burris during his January 8 testimony, claimed that Burris committed perjury and called for him to be removed from office. In 2009, Senator Burris was named one of the 15 Most Corrupt Members of Congress by good-government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
.
Sangamon County State's Attorney John Schmidt announced on June 19, 2009, that Burris would not face criminal perjury charges, stating that Burris's promise to "personally do something" for Governor Blagojevich was too vague to rise to the level of criminality, as it could be interpreted in too many different ways. Burris praised the announcement, saying, "The truth has prevailed"; meanwhile, Durkin criticized Schmidt's decision, saying, "They're all contradictions to his previously sworn statements. To me, it's a pretty strong case."
The Senate Ethics Committee issued a letter on November 20, 2009, admonishing him saying that although no ethics charges would be pursued, “The Committee found that you should have known that you were providing incorrect, inconsistent, misleading, or incomplete information to the public, the Senate and those conducting legitimate inquiries into your appointment to the Senate.”
IFDA scandal
In the 1980s as Illinois State Comptroller, Burris’ office issued a license to the Illinois Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) to manage a pre-need funeral trust fund. A provision was also issued allowing trustees to take 25% of the fund’s earnings as management fees.The fund went into deficits beginning in 2001 leading to a revocation of the IFDA license in September 2007 and a $59 million deficit by October 2008. Burris acted as a lobbyist for the IFDA trust during early 2007 through 2008. Burris has refused comment on the scandal citing "it was 30 years ago". Consequently, a group of funeral directors (plaintiffs in a suit filed January 2009 against the IFDA alleging a Ponzi scheme
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
) have subpoenaed Burris to find out his involvement during his time as lobbyist. The lawsuit is currently ongoing.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States Senate Committee on Armed ServicesThe Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy , benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and...
- Subcommittee on AirlandUnited States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on AirlandThe Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:The Airland Subcommittee has primary jurisdiction over all issues related to the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S...
- Subcommittee on PersonnelUnited States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on PersonnelThe Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:The Personnel Subcommittee has jurisdiction over all matters relating to active and reserve military personnel, including pay rates, military health care and...
- Subcommittee on Readiness and Management SupportUnited States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management SupportThe Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Airland
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsUnited States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsThe United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and...
- Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security
- Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
- Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery
- Committee on Veterans' AffairsUnited States Senate Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 112th Congress:The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, and the Ranking Member is Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina.Source: -Chairmen of the Senate...
2010 election campaign plans
According to Federal Election CommissionFederal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
records, on January 2, 2009, prior to the controversy regarding his conflicting explanations of his fundraising activity on behalf of Blagojevich, Burris signed a statement of candidacy for the 2010 election
United States Senate elections in Illinois, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate elections in Illinois took place on November 2, 2010. There were 2 ballot items for the same seat: a routine one, to fill the Class 3 seat beginning with the 112th United States Congress beginning on January 3, 2011, and a special item, to fill that seat for the final...
. Durbin stated that "it would be extremely difficult for him to be successful", and on April 16, the Chicago Tribune reported that Burris had raised only $845 for his campaign. On July 9, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Senator Burris would not run for election in 2010, and Burris made an official announcement in Chicago on July 10 that he would retire after his replacement term ended in 2011. Burris' term ended on November 29, 2010, with the swearing-in of his elected successor, Mark Kirk
Mark Kirk
Mark Steven Kirk is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district....
. He cited the high cost of running a campaign as a major reason for not seeking election, saying he would rather continue to serve the people of Illinois than try to raise money for a campaign.
Civic activities
Burris has held a number of different civic positions during his career, including Chairman of the Illinois Commission of African-American Males (1992–1994), the National Association of Attorneys GeneralNational Association of Attorneys General
The National Association of Attorneys General is an organization of 56 state and territorial attorneys general in the United States...
Civil Rights Commission (1993–1995), and the Illinois State Justice Commission (1994–1996). Burris was Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Illinois Government, President of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (1981–1982), and a Trustee for both the Financial Accounting Foundation
Financial Accounting Foundation
The Financial Accounting Foundation is located in Norwalk, Connecticut. It was organized in 1972 as a non-stock, Delaware Corporation. It is an independent, organization in the private sector...
(1991–1994) and the Government Finance Officers Association of U.S. and Canada (1987–1991). He was a Member of the Board of the Better Business Bureau
Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
(2008), the Auditorium Theater of Chicago (2001–2006), and the National Center for Responsible Gaming
National Center for Responsible Gaming
The National Center for Responsible Gaming is an American nonprofit group, associated with Harvard University, that funds scientific research on gambling addiction. It was founded in 1996. The group is a wing of the American Gaming Association, the casino industry's main trade group. The mission...
(1996–2005).
Burris is also a rank and file member of the Howard University Law School Alumni Association, the Southern Illinois University Foundation, the Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago, the U.S. Jaycees, Chicago Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
, the Southern Illinois Alumni Association, Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity, the Western Consistory of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Free Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, and Sigma Pi Phi
Sigma Pi Phi
Sigma Pi Phi is the first African-American Greek-lettered organization. Sigma Pi Phi was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 1904. The fraternity quickly established chapters in Chicago, IL and then Baltimore, MD....
Fraternity, Beta Boule.
Recognitions and awards
- 100 Most Influential Black Americans, Ebony Magazine (1979–1995)
- Ten Most Distinguished Alumni in the History of the University - Wall of Fame, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleSouthern Illinois University CarbondaleSouthern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
(1997) - Distinguished Accomplishments in the Field of Law, National Bar AssociationNational Bar AssociationThe National Bar Association was established in 1925 as the "Negro Bar Association" after Gertrude Rush, George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, and Charles P. Howard, Sr. were denied membership in the American Bar Association. It represents the interests of African-American attorneys in...
(1993) - One of the Top Three Government Financial Officers in the Nation, City and State Magazine (1989)
- Hall of Fame, Centralia, Illinois
- Honorary Doctors of Laws Degree, National Louis University, EvanstonEvanston, IllinoisEvanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois - Honorary Doctors of Laws Degree, Tougaloo CollegeTougaloo CollegeTougaloo College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts institution of higher education founded in 1869, in Madison County, north of Jackson, Mississippi, USA.Academically, Tougaloo College has received high ranks in recent years...
, TougalooTougaloo, MississippiTougaloo is an area in Hinds County, Mississippi. Its ZIP Code, 39174, is assigned to the area encompassing Tougaloo College. Actress Aunjanue Ellis was raised in Tougaloo.-External links:*...
, Mississippi - Centralia High School Alumni Association Award 2008 (CentraliaCentralia, IllinoisCentralia is a town located in Marion, Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 at the 2010 census. The town was founded because it was the point where the two original branches of the Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1853, converged....
, Illinois)
See also
- List of African-American firsts
- Powell v. McCormackPowell v. McCormackPowell v. McCormack, was a United States Supreme Court case decided in 1969. It answered the question of whether Congress has the authority to exclude from being sworn in and enrolled upon its rolls a person who has been duly elected or appointed by the people or the executive authority of his/her...
- African Americans in the United States CongressAfrican Americans in the United States CongressAfrican Americans began serving in greater numbers in the United States Congress during the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War after slaves were emancipated and granted citizenship rights. Freedmen gained political representation in the Southern United States for the first time...
- Oak Woods Cemetery#Roland Burris site