The former chief of staff to Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) confirmed that he is under investigation by the Department of Justice for his ties to Jack Abramoff, bringing the probe of the disgraced lobbyist closer to the Montana senator.
Will Brooke told the Lee Newspapers State Bureau that DOJ is looking into a 2001 Super Bowl trip funded by Abramoff. �That whole trip has been the subject of investigation,�� he said. Burns has repeatedly denied that he is under investigation although he has said he doesn't know whether he is or he isn't.
Brooke and Ryan Thomas, a Senate staffer who still works for Burns on the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee, went to Florida on Abramoff's dime. But Brooke says Abramoff told him the trip was funded by an unnamed tribe.
Brooke left Congress in 2003 to work for Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig. His clients included the Meskwaki Tribe of Iowa and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, according to Senate documents[Lobbying Records].
Brooke has since left the firm and now works for Ryan, Phillips, Utrecht & MacKinnon. His clients have included the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan and Cook Inlet Regional Corporation, an Alaska Native regional corporation [Lobbying Records].
Get the Story:
Super Bowl trip included in lobbyist probe
(The Helena Independent Record 1/18)
Burns downplays alleged link to Abramoff (The Bozeman Chronicle 1/17)
Sen. Burns fires back (The Missoulian 1/17)
Relevant Links:
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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issues (1/17)
Sen. Burns losing
support among Montana voters (01/12)
Sen.
Burns blames media for Abramoff story (1/10)
Editorial: Burns, Baucus and Rehberg were bought
(12/22)
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Editorial: No more nasty politics on Montana?
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Burns staffer went on Abramoff
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Sen. Baucus returns $19K in Abramoff donations
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Opinion: Burns worried
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Sen. Burns
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Sen. Burns wants name cleared in Abramoff probe
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Staffer for Sen. Burns went to
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Sen. Burns took $34K from ex-Abramoff client
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Abramoff probe spreads to members of
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Abramoff probe looking
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Montana
Democrats to run ads against Burns (11/22)
Ex-Abramoff associate charged in Montana for
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Democrats to make
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Democrat ad criticizes Burns for ties to Abramoff
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Democrats received donations from
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Bloomberg:
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Sen. Burns: Support for Montana tribes is known
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Burns says Michigan delegation
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Editorial:
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Chairman:
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Editorial: Facts don't look good for Senator
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Editorial: Burns needs
better story on Abramoff flap (3/8)
Firm
offers $9M refund to Saginaw Chippewa Tribe (3/7)
Editorial: A 'Super Bowl' earmark for tribe
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Editorial: Burns 'enriched' by
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Horse Sense:
Burns and Baucus 'cozy' with lobbyists (3/7)
Burns promises cooperation with Abramoff probe
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Editorial: Who do you work for,
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Tribal lobbying scandal hurts
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Documents detail lobbyists' role in
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More hearings
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