Report: Feds Subpoena Rep. Dan Burke's Scholarship Records
UPDATED 07/26/12 6:48 a.m.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — The controversial Illinois Legislative Scholarship Program ends on Sept. 1, but that doesn't mean an investigation into the awarding of some of those tuition waivers is over.
As WBBM Newsradio's Bob Conway reports, state Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago) is the latest lawmaker to be subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in connection with the grand jury investigation into alleged abuses in the program.
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Burke, the brother of Ald. Ed Burke (14th), reportedly has been asked to provide all documents and records relevant to Burke's awarding of the valuable waivers, according to published reports.
The Illinois House disclosed the subpoena on Wednesday, after the newspaper made an open-records request. The subpoena for Burke was issued March 21.
Dowis is the daughter of Burke's onetime legislative secretary in Springfield, Judy Dowis, the Sun-Times reported. The rule for legislative scholarships had been that recipients live in the legislator's district, and there are conflicting details about whether that was the case with Dowis, the Sun-Times reports.
The Sun-Times found Sarah Rae Dowis listed her permanent residence as a small bungalow on Chicago's southwest side that is owned by Burke's Chicago-based legislative secretary.
Burke is at least the third current or former state legislator being looked at in connection with the awarding of the scholarships allegedly to people not entitled to receive them or given to students with personal or political connections to the legislator.
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