Great Falls Tribune - Abramoff donations heading to reservations

By GWEN FLORIO
Tribune Capitol Bureau

U.S. Rep. Dennis Rehberg's checks are in the mail.

So are those from U.S. Sen. Max Baucus.

And Sen. Conrad Burns' staff is still working out the details of how to return about $150,000 in donations from indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates.

Abramoff, whose clients include a number of casino-rich Indian tribes, was indicted in August on fraud and conspiracy charges. The Justice Department also is investigating him for possible congressional influence peddling.

Abramoff and his associates donated generously to dozens of members of Congress, with the bulk of the money going to Republicans, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracked the donations. As the publicity surrounding Abramoff becomes increasingly negative ? Democrats cite the donations as the main reason why Burns should not be re-elected next year ? some have chosen to return the money. All three members of Montana's congressional delegation are giving it back.

For someone like Rehberg, who received a relatively small amount, almost $20,000, the return was fairly straightforward. About $16,000 will go back to the seven tribes, none from Montana, that donated it, said Erik Iverson, Rehberg's chief of staff.

Rehberg is returning another $2,000 to the political action committee at Greenberg Traurig, the lobbying firm where Abramoff once worked. And a $2,000 personal donation from Abramoff and his wife, Pamela, is being evenly divided between the Family Resource Center on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and the Domestic Abuse Center on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Iverson said.

Baucus is evenly dividing the nearly $19,000 he received among Montana's seven tribal colleges, said his spokesman, Barrett Kaiser.

"I think it's generous of him to think about us. He's always been very supportive of tribal colleges," said Joseph McDonald, president of the Salish Kootenai College on the Flathead Indian Reservation. McDonald said he's received no official word from Baucus, but read about the donations in the paper.

Mark Baker, Burns' campaign manager, said the majority of the senator's Abramoff-related donations, about $100,000, were made before campaign-finance restrictions went into effect during the 2004 campaign season, and there are questions as to how the money can be legally distributed.

At least some of the money will be sent out as charitable donations to Montana's tribes, Baker said.

"We're seeking input from tribal leaders as to where is the best place it can make an impact," he said. Burns will make the final decision, he said.

A Bloomberg News analysis showed that Burns received more than any other member of Congress from Abramoff and his associates, getting at least $136,000 between 2001 and 2004.

Richard Sangrey, chief of staff for the Chippewa-Cree tribe on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, said he's glad Montana's tribes will benefit.

"This is a good thing. Our tribal colleges need all the help they can get," he said.

McDonald agreed, but added that Salish Kootenai College hasn't seen any money yet.

"The proof in the pudding is when you get the check," he said.