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Abramoff Scandal
Abramoff scandal a campaign issue for Sen. Burns


Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) won't let allegations that he is under investigation by the Justice Department slow down his 2006 re-election campaign.

Burns and his staffers are said to face scrutiny over their ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But Burns says no one has contacted him about the investigation.

"The Justice Department, they have never contacted me, and until they do it is business as usual," he told The New York Times.

Democrats have made Abramoff a campaign issue and the Montana media has written numerous stories about Burns' connections with the confessed felon. Polls show that Burns has lost support among voters -- including some Republicans -- in recent months.

Burns is the chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee, which handles funding for Indian programs. As such, he was a major target of Abramoff's lobbying efforts. Burns inserted language into the 2004 appropriations bill to set aside money for Abramoff's wealthy tribal clients.

Get the Story:
Rivals Try to Tie G.O.P. Senator to Lobby Furor (The New York Times 3/1)
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Burns airs first radio ad (The Helena Independent Record 2/28)

Relevant Links:
Conrad Burns for Senate - http://www.conradburns.com
Sen. Conrad Burns - http://burns.senate.gov
Montana Republican Party - http://www.mtgop.org
Montana Democratic Party - http://www.montanademocrats.org

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