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INDICTBURRIS.COM

Pay to Play, has been the standard practice of Illinois politics for generations. It is well established and very profitable. The most profitable use of Pay to Play does not occur with the sale of driver’s licenses but with the sale of contracts and land speculation for the State’s highway programs.

Roland Burris was no stranger to this pay to play practice. First we must understand how properties were being bought and sold by IDOT and the Tollway.

When the General Assembly authorizes IDOT and the Tollway to engage in feasibility and environmental studies for the construction of a new highway or tollway, they are given the authority to acquire property under what is known as advanced acquisitions. This State law is known as 625ILCS 4-510.

IDOT’s own Policies and Procedures Manual provides the best explanation of the requirements and protections afforded to the public under this law.

The most important of these requirements and protections is that no acquisition can be made until there has been:

1. an environmental study
2. a public hearing of the study
3. a map showing the right of way filed with the county recorder
4. certified mail notice sent to the affected property owners

It is a matter of public record that in late 1994 the required public hearing for the construction of I-355 in Will County was held. However, Court records and internal Tollway documents show that land deals were being made years before there were any environmental studies.

During this time Roland Burris was serving as Attorney General for Illinois.

The Pay to Play corruption of our highway programs worked like this. Public officials received advanced knowledge of highway interchange locations and provided that information to connected developers in exchange for campaign contributions.

Our investigative researchers have discovered internal Tollway documents [1] [2] [3] pertaining to a land deal that involved several top ranking public officials as well as Roland Burris. This land deal occurred in 1991, long before there was ever any legal authority to make property acquisitions, and well before the public hearing in 1994. This land deal was with Continental Offices and Donald Hedge. The internal Tollway documents show that these connected developers were engaging in deals to make acquisitions and sales of Tollway properties with advanced knowledge of the highway location.

During this same time, Roland Burris, as Attorney General had the power to make political appointments and to authorize contracts with private law firms to represent the State in court proceedings.

The most prestigious and lucrative appointments were those of the Chief Counsel to IDOT and the Tollway. Roland Burris made such an appointment to Mr. Frank Howard who was the law partner of Joseph Kotlarz. In return for this appointment Roland Burris received over $15,000 in campaign contributions. $5,000 of those contributions from Mr. Howard came directly from Tollway headquarters (One Authority Drive, Downers Grove, IL). State law prohibits using state property for campaign purposes.

Roland Burris also received considerable funds from State Senator Tom Dunn. As a result his law firm received a contract for state business. It was this law firm that filed a condemnation complaint in Will County Illinois involving the connected land deal with Don Hedge and Continental Offices.

The condemnation complaint filed by Roland Burris and the law partner of Tom Dunn, Mr. Michael Martin states that IDOT had been given the authority to construct I-355. The document is signed by Roland Burris.

The State Police had received information through the Office of the Governor, Jim Edgar, that there were unlawful land acquisitions occurring with I-355. The State Police Political Investigation Unit headed by Sargeant Edward Baker conducted an investigation that resulted in a detailed Search Warrant being issued against Tollway Board member Roger Claar, Don Hedge, Continental Offices and a lobbyist named Al Ronan. The Search Warrant clearly evidences reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct.

One of Roland Burris’s most generous campaign contributors was Mr. Al Ronan. Mr. Ronan, Mr. Kotlarz, and Tom Dunn were all members of the State’s Transportation committee when the General Assembly authorized the study of I-355. Is it a co-incidence that all three were profiting from the advanced acquisitions of Tollway properties while making contributions to Roland Burris and what became of the criminal investigation urged by Governor Edgar? That investigation was stopped by order of the Attorney General’s Office under the direction of Roland Burris.

INDICTBURRIS.COM is dedicated to bringing forth evidence of political corruption, not to the courts but to the People of this State who deserve to know what has really happened. We will be expanding upon the investigation of corruption and bringing new evidence and information every week.

INDICTBURRIS.COM invites everyone to read the secret documents that have been hidden and covered up. We invite our public to decide for themselves as to whether or not Roland Burris should be indicted.

Our team of investigator’s that we refer to as the Indict Burris Task Force, IBTF, is looking for volunteers to bring forth evidence of the corruption and Pay to Play politics that has occurred under the watchful eye of the Attorney General’s Office. Please contact our staff with any tips or information and we will investigate and publish our findings, here where the public will be the jury. Each week we invite you to participate and cast your vote to indict Roland Burris.