Burris called Blagojevich aide to try to get nephew state job

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Roland Burris called a top Blagojevich staffer to recommend his nephew for a state job, a close Burris aide said today.

Fred Lebed, who runs a lobbying and consulting firm with Burris, said Burris called Blagojevich's top financial officer John Filan on behalf of his nephew, Steven Burris, who had applied for a job as a chief financial officer with the Illinois Historical Preservation Agency.

Steven Burris had called his uncle to ask him to be a reference for the job, Lebed said.

Burris has known Filan for 30 years and in the course of one of their conversations he mentioned his nephew's interest in the state post, Lebed said.

Later, Lebed said, the governor's former chief of staff, John Harris, approved hiring Steven Burris. But his nephew never was able to take the post because of the state's budget constraints. The historic preservation agency laid off more than 30 employees last fall.

Roland Burris,the Chicago politician.