Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California) accepted $5,000 from the Osage Nation of Oklahoma shortly before and after his committee held a hearing on a bill the tribe requested.

The tribe gave Pombo's re-election committee $2,500 on March 10, five days before the House Resources Committee held a hearing on the bill. Three days later, the tribe made another $2,500 contribution.

Osage Chief Jim Gray says the timing of the contributions had nothing to do with the bill, which has been passed by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. The bill would ensure the tribe's membership rules are recognized by the government.

Get the Story:
Osage contributions bookend U.S. House sovereignty hearing (The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise 7/17)

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