Burns downplays alleged link to Abramoff

By WALT WILLIAMS, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., insisted Monday that he did nothing illegal or unethical in exchange for campaign contributions from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his clients.

In fact, the senator only recalled meeting Abramoff once, despite the two having been linked in various news reports throughout the past year.

"I did nothing wrong and nothing unethical," Burns said in an interview with the Chronicle editorial board.

The senator has spent the first part of January on tour visiting with newspapers as part of his re-election campaign kick-off.

The tour isn't unusual. Burns said he does it at the start of every election. But this time the senator may be at his most vulnerable, with polls showing dipping public support as the alleged relationship between his office and Abramoff continues to make news.

Burns instead wants to focus on what he said he has done for Montana, particularly his efforts to build up the state's telecommunications infrastructure and bring in federal dollars for university research.

And the senator, who is a member of the influential Senate Appropriations Committee, is continuing his push to get telemedicine services in small communities throughout the state so people have access to medical specialists through communications networks.

"I'm in a better position now for my state to get that done," he said.

Burns, who will be 71 next week, is in his third term in office.

Four Democrats are seeking the party nomination to challenge Burns.

The Montana Democratic Party continues to link Burns with Abramoff in television advertisements and news releases. Spokesman Matt McKenna said the Abramoff scandal is consuming the senator's every day.

"We need somebody who can get to work (for Montana) and is not worried about going to jail because of their relationship with Jack Abramoff," he said.

Abramoff recently pleaded guilty to tax evasion and other charges as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors looking into possible Congressional corruption. Burns has been named in news reports as one member of Congress whose dealings with Abramoff are under scrutiny.

No member of Congress received more money from Abramoff and his clients than Burns.

Most of roughly $150,000 the senator received from Abramoff and his clients came during the 2001-2002 campaign cycle when Bozeman lobbyist Will Brooke was Burns' chief of staff -- more than one-fifth of what the lawmaker raised during that time period, the Washington D.C. newspaper Roll Call reported.

Burns, however, said that as far as he can remember, he met Abramoff only once. His staff has been reviewing records to check if there were other meetings. He pointed out that thousands of people have donated to his campaigns, and said he is willing to meet with anyone to discuss policy.

The senator made sure that one of Abramoff's clients, a wealthy Michigan tribe, received a $3 million federal appropriation for Indian schools.

Burns pointed out that Michigan's two senators requested the school funding. And despite an e-mail from Abramoff in which the lobbyist wrote that he would get Burns to call Secretary of Interior Gale Norton about the funding, the senator said he never did that.

The senator bristles at charges that, as he put it, he sold out his country and state for campaign donations. He pointed out his office hasn't been contacted by federal investigators, and insisted that the allegations concerning him and Abramoff are based on perceptions rather than facts.

"Basically, everything there is to know about the Abramoff case is known," he said.

McKenna, however, said while the Abramoff link was only the "tip of the iceberg" of reasons not to re-elect Burns, his party will keep up the pressure.

"We're not going to stop talking about this until he comes clean," McKenna said.

Walt Williams is at wwilliams@dailychronicle.com

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