Roland W. Burris, the former state attorney general picked by Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama , is a registered lobbyist who appears to be out of compliance with federal lobbying laws.
In April, Burris & Lebed Consulting registered with Congress to lobby the federal government on behalf of MicroSun Technologies on defense, manufacturing and science issues — with Burris listed as one of the three lobbyists.
The required second- and third-quarter reports detailing how much Burris and his two colleagues were paid are not available for examination on Senate and House Web sites. Nor are there campaign contribution reports required twice a year of all lobbyists.
As good a reason as any to exclude him from taking the seat while the Senate preps a special committee to investigate his appointment.