Democrats demand Burns return contributions from lobbyist

By WALT WILLIAMS Chronicle Staff Writer

State Democrats are demanding Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., return $137,000 in campaign contributions connected to a lobbyist now under investigation for allegedly buying favors from lawmakers.

The charge came the same day that a Washington D.C. newspaper reported that Burns had hired a GOP lawyer to mount a legal defense to clear his name.

The Washington Post reported in early March that Burns had diverted a $3 million grant meant for impoverished Indian schools to the Saginaw Chippewas in Michigan, one of the richest tribes in the nation.

The tribe was a client of GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is under investigation by the FBI and Congress for allegedly buying legislative favors with campaign contributions and bribing Congressional aides.

Burns has received $137,000 in campaign contributions from Abramoff and his tribal clients, the Post reported. Also under scrutiny is a 2001 trip to the Super Bowl for two Burns staffers that may have been paid for by Abramoff.

In a recent newspaper column, Burns acknowledged the trip took place, but insisted his staff had cleared it with the Senate Ethics Committee ahead of time.

"What we have learned four years later is that many (Capitol) Hill staff had been misled by this lobbyist, Mr. Abramoff, and the staff have subsequently been unable to determine who actually paid for the trip," the senator wrote.

Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Brad Martin said Monday Burns' acknowledgement of Abramoff's actions should be justification enough to return the money.

"That alone should give him pause about whether that money should spend another minute in his bank account," he said.

But that money is no longer around to give back, Burns' spokesman J.P. Donovan said.

"It's all spent," he said.

The Montana Democratic Party asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Burns' dealings with Abramoff shortly after news of the Indian grant broke.

Donovan pointed out that Burns is up for re-election next year and called the Democrat's call to return the money "just more partisan political garbage." Already a list of possible Democratic contenders is forming for Burns' seat.

"It is a coming attraction of what we have to look forward to -- 19 months of mudslinging from the Montana Democratic Party," Donovan said.

Also on Monday, the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported that Burns had hired GOP lawyer Cleta Mitchell to oversee his legal defense as questions were raised about his connections to Abramoff.

Donovan said Mitchell was brought in as an outside observer to deal with some of the ethics allegations made against him. She is not part of any legal defense, he insisted.

Martin was a bit more skeptical.

"You don't hire someone like Cleta Mitchell if you got a press problem," he said.

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