Advertise:   ads@blueearthmarketing.com   712.224.5420

Opinion
Editorial: Burns needs better story on Abramoff flap


"The Washington Post reported that Sen. Conrad Burns, Republican of Montana, pressured the U.S. Department of the Interior into giving the [Saginaw Chippewa] tribe the money to build a new school despite protests from agency officials that such funding was for poor tribes, presumably those without multi-million-dollar gaming operations.

The incident was revealed by a growing federal investigation into the practices of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was hired by the tribe to represent its interests in Washington.

Mr. Abramoff now must explain exactly what it was he did for the dozen tribes that paid him and his firm $82 million from 2001 to 2003. As for Senator Burns, he will have to come up with a better story than the one he's told so far."

Get the Story:
Scandal on the reservation (The Toledo Blade 3/8)

Relevant Links:
Saginaw Chippewa Tribe - http://www.sagchip.org
Saginaw Chippewa Voices - http://www.scitmembervoices.com

Related Stories:
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 has new lobbyist (12/13)