The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan is returning a $3 million Congressional earmark linked to the lobbying efforts of Jack Abramoff and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana).

Burns, the head of the Senate subcommittee that handles Indian funding, placed the money in the 2004 Interior appropriations bill even though the wealthy tribe didn't qualify for the program. Abramoff had pushed for the earmark.

The tribe asked that the appropriation be used for other tribal programs.

Get the Story:
Tribe Returns $3 Million Grant Linked to Burns (The Washington Post 4/7)
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Mich. tribe not moving on school project (AP 4/6)

Vanity Fair:
Washington's Invisible Man (April 2006)

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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