Legal News

Blago to Tap Former Illinois AG to Fill Obama?s Senate Seat

By Dan Slater

Illinois’ embattled Gov., Rod Blagojevich, plans to name Roland W. Burris, the former attorney general of Illinois, to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat.

Burris, according to this Web bio, is a senior counsel at Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan. He focuses on business transactions, consumer affairs, estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate. Before Gonzalez Saggio, he was of counsel with Burris, Wright, Slaughter & Tom and with Buford & Peters. He was also the managing partner at Jones, Ware & Grenard. He’s an adjunct professor in the master of public administration program at Southern Illinois University. From 1985 to 1989, Burris, 71, served as vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

The WSJ notes that the move would represent an about-face for the governor. On Dec. 18, his criminal-defense lawyer, Ed Genson, said the governor would not appoint someone to fill the vacant seat. “[Senate majority leader] Harry Reid said that they’re not going to accept anybody he picks,” Genson said at the time. “Why would he do that?”

Sen. Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, said earlier this month that he backed efforts to circumvent the process allowing Blago to make the appointment. He said, “it is clear that anyone Gov. Blagojevich appoints to the Senate will fairly or unfairly be tainted by questions of impropriety” and that a different process must be put in place.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on December 30, 2008 (boomark / email).