printer friendly version
Burns staffer went on Abramoff Super Bowl trip
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
A staffer for Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) said he went to the 2001 Super Bowl at Jack Abramoff's invitation because he was told it was being sponsored by a tribe, The Billings Gazette reports.
Ryan Thomas works on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Burns is chairman of the subcommittee that handles Indian funding and has been questioned for making decisions favoring Abramoff's tribal clients while accepting money from Abramoff and the tribes.
Thomas denies that actions he took on behalf of tribes were influenced by Abramoff. "My office door is open to every tribe and the representation they choose to hire," he told The Gazette. He said he supported a $3 million grant to a wealthy tribal client because the state's congressional delegation supported the grant.
He said he took the Super Bowl trip because it was being sponsored by a tribe. But it turns out that SunCruz, a casino company that Abramoff had purchased, paid for the trip.
Thomas says he is working with the Senate Ethics Committee to clear up his involvement.
Get the Story:
Burns staffer: Lobbyist had no influence
(The Billings Gazette 12/21)
Relevant Links:
Sen. Conard Burns -
http://burns.senate.govMontana
Democratic Party -
http://www.montanademocrats.org
Related Stories:
Sen. Baucus returns
$19K in Abramoff donations (12/20)
Another Republican returns Abramoff donations
(12/19)
Burns to return $150K in
Abramoff donations (12/16)
Editorial:
Burns should return Abramoff donations (12/15)
Burns already spent donations from Abramoff
(12/14)
Former Burns aide talks with
Abramoff investigators (12/13)
Editorial:
Don't hate Burns, hate the system (12/12)
Burns wishes Abramoff had 'never been born'
(12/9)
Opinion: Burns worried about
public opinion (12/9)
Sen. Burns to
launch Abramoff offensive in January (12/8)
Sen. Burns wants name cleared in Abramoff probe
(12/7)
Staffer for Sen. Burns went to
work for Abramoff (12/05)
Ex-Abramoff
associate charged in Montana for poaching (08/19)
Sen. Burns took $34K from ex-Abramoff client
(11/30)
Abramoff probe spreads to members of
Congress (11/28)
Abramoff probe looking
into Congress, Bush (11/25)
Montana
Democrats to run ads against Burns (11/22)
Ex-Abramoff associate charged in Montana for
poaching (08/19)
Democrats to make
change to Burns, Abramoff ad (08/10)
Democrat ad criticizes Burns for ties to Abramoff
(8/9)
Democrats received donations from
Abramoff tribes (06/03)
Bloomberg:
Abramoff tribes gave $1.4M to Congress (05/19)
Sen. Burns: Support for Montana tribes is known
(04/18)
Burns says Michigan delegation
backed school funds (04/04)
Editorial:
Burns has chance to restore Indian funds (3/31)
Democrats want Burns to return tribal donations
(03/29)
Burns denies wrongdoing for helping
Abramoff client (03/24)
Chairman:
Montana tribes support Senator Burns (3/18)
Editorial: Facts don't look good for Senator
Burns (03/14)
Editorial: Burns needs
better story on Abramoff flap (3/8)
Firm
offers $9M refund to Saginaw Chippewa Tribe (3/7)
Editorial: A 'Super Bowl' earmark for tribe
(3/7)
Editorial: Burns 'enriched' by
Abramoff and tribes (3/7)
Horse Sense:
Burns and Baucus 'cozy' with lobbyists (3/7)
Burns promises cooperation with Abramoff probe
(3/4)
Editorial: Who do you work for,
Senator Burns? (3/4)
Burns looking into
Abramoff ties, Dorgan denies link (3/2)
Burns, Dorgan backed $3M grant for Abramoff client
(3/1)
Tribal lobbying scandal hurts
ex-Abramoff firm (02/17)
Sag Chip recall
targets anti-Abramoff tribal leaders (02/11)
High-priced lobbyist scam linked to lawmakers
(11/18)
Documents detail lobbyists' role in
tribal elections (10/04)
More hearings
slated in tribal lobbyist scandal (09/30)
Senate hearing on tribal lobbying probe set
(8/26)
Saginaw Chippewa leader who paid
lobbyists ousted (06/04)
Indian Country
awaits outcome of lobbying probe (05/18)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe wonders where $14M went
(04/20)
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe hires new
lobbying firm (03/09)
GOP
lobbyist scores big with tribes (04/03)
Embattled tribe gets new lobbyist
(12/13)
Copyright © 2000-2005 Indianz.Com
