Illinois officials have agreed to investigate the selection of Burris II as senior counsel for the Illinois Housing Development Authority after the Internal Revenue Service slapped him with a $34,163 tax lien and only three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure lawsuit on his Chicago home.
According to press reports, Burris II has been hit repeatedly with federal tax liens. He satisfied two federal tax liens in 2005 and then was hit by another lien of $34,163 in July for unpaid taxes for 2004, 2005 and 2007. In the meantime, Burris II and his wife got the $372,000 mortgage on July 18, 2006, but have paid less than $3,000 with a balance due of $406,685, including interest and penalties.
The job pays $75,000-a-year and many are viewing the position with a high degree of skepticism. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote “The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris is a federal tax deadbeat who landed a $75,000-a-year state job under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich five months ago.”
In the meantime, legislators have called for a perjury investigation against Burris I for alleging lying under oath on Jan. 8 when he failed to disclose contacts that he had with Gov. Rod Blagojevich or his advisers.
It is not clear how Burris is going to fit all of this on his resume-laden tombstone.
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