Quote:
GONZALEZ, SAGGIO, HARLAN
VIA FACSIMILE (217) 557-7599
Barbara Flynn Currie
Chairperson
SpeciaÃ* Investigative Committee
Illinois House of Representative
300 State Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
January 5, 2009
Re:Senator Roland Burris' Subpoena before the Special Investigative Committee.
Dear Chairperson Currie:
As you have discussed with Timothy Wright, Senator Burris has sworn the attached Affidavit reciting the events leading up to his appointment as United States Senator by Governor Blagojevich.
The Affidavit is not intended to be a substitute for testimony before your Committee, but may be useful to you pending the Senator's actual appearance.
Thank you for the consideration the Committee has extended to Senator Burris.
Very truly yours,
Emmitt C. House
An Attorney for Senator Roland W. Burris
GONZALEZ,SAGGIO AND HARLAN, L.L.C.
Attorneys at Law
35 East Wacker Drive
Suite 500
Chicago. IL 60601
(312)236-0175
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STATE OF ILLINOIS
COUNTY OF COOK
AFFIDAVIT OF ROLAND W. BURRIS
I, ROLAND W. BURRIS, being first sworn on oath, depose and state that the following is true to the best of my knowledge and recollection:
1. I am the Senator-Designate for the State of Illinois.
2. I am a resident of the State of Illinois, at least 30 years of age and a natural-bom citizen of the United States of America.
3. On Friday, December 26, 2008, I received a telephone call from Sam Adams, Jr., ("Mr. Adams, Jr.") an attorney employed by Rod Blagojevich, the Governor of the State of Illinois ("Governor Blagojevich").
4. During the December 26, 2008 telephone conversation with Mr. Adams, Jr., he asked if he couid come to my residence to discuss a matter with me.
5. At my residence Mr. Adams Jr. asked if l had an interest in accepting Governor Blagojevioh's appointment to fill the Senate seat left vacant by President-Elect Barack Obama. I responded to Mr. Adams, Jr. that I needed a couple of days to confer with friends and family and that I would inform him of my decision within a couple of days.
6. On Sunday, December 28,2008, Mr. Adams Jr. contacted me by telephone and then visited me at my home to ask me if I had reached a decision with respect to accepting or rejecting Governor Blagojevioh's appointment to the United States Senate.
7. I told Mr. Adams Jr. that, should Governor Blagojevich offer the appointment to the United States Senate, I would accept.
8. On Sunday, December 28, 2008, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Governor Blagojevich personally contacted me by telephone, praised my public service record and offered to appoint me to the United States Senate to fill the Senate seat left vacant by President-Elect Barack Obama.
9. During the December 28, 2008 telephone conversation with Governor Blagojevich, I formally accepted the appointment to the United States Senate. Governor Blagojevich then indicated that he would formally announce my appointment at a press conference within the next couple of days. The telephone call then ended.
10. Other than greetings, Governor Blagojevich praising my public service record, his offer and my acceptance of the appointment to the United StatesSenate, and the discussion of the future press conference to announce my appointment, Governor Blagojevich and I discussed no other topics or subject matter during the December 28, 2008 telephone conversation.
11. 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.
FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT.
ROLAND W. BURRIS
Senate-Designate for the State of Illinois
Subscribed and sworn to me this___ day of January, 2009
OFFICIAL SEAL
DARYL TOM
Notary Public -State of Illinois
My Commisslnn Expiras Jun 18, 2012
Mr. Burris was once the state Attorney General for Illinois, and he held some other positions in state government. One has to wonder if there is a birth certificate hanging out in Illinois files somewhere which he has seen. After all, Obama would have applied for a driver's license, and possibly through a local county office for a passport (remember, he took Michelle to Kenya to visit his relatives in the early 1990's either before they got married in 1992 or shortly after).