In December, Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) promised to return the approximately $150,000 he received from Abramoff, his clients, and his associates:
This is an important step that all public officials should take in order to renew the faith of Montanans, and all Americans, in their government. We can and must set a higher ethical standard.
Burns also added that he “instructed [his] staff to work with the Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council to identify an appropriate Native American charitable entity to which the contributions received directly from Mr. Abramoff and his associates may be donated.”
But instead of working with the Council or returning the money to its original donors, Burns sent $111,000 directly to the Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council, whose lobbyist, Stan Ullman, is a former Burns staffer.
Round and round Abramoff’s money goes, where it stops nobody knows.
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