Can the Senate Ethics Committee Expel Roland Burris?
by C. Simon Davidson Q: I have a question regarding sanctions Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) could face if it turns out he testified falsely about events leading up to his appointment to the Senate. I know the Ethics Committee is now investigating, and Ive heard that such an investigation could result in Burris being expelled. I fear that would just drag out the whole mess even further, as it would require yet another appointment to replace Burris. Can the Ethics Committee expel Burris for false testimony? A: Before looking at the sanctions, lets examine the allegations themselves, which concern two sets of statements that Burris made last month to an Illinois House committee that was considering whether to impeach then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D). The first set came during Burris actual testimony before the impeachment committee. State Rep. Jim Durkin (R) asked whether Burris had spoken with anyone associated with Blagojevich about his desire for the Senate seat. Durkin threw out a list of
