Controversies Conrad Burns

1 controversies

1.1 abramoff , tribal contributions

1.1.1 contributions , connections
1.1.2 tribal school
1.1.3 national bison range
1.1.4 involvement of staffers , aides
1.1.5 returning of tainted campaign contributions


1.2 inland northwest space alliance
1.3 comments firefighters
1.4 immigration comments
1.5 taxicab terrorists
1.6 untoward editing of wikipedia

controversies

conrad burns in c. 2000.

in september 2006, citizens responsibility , ethics in washington (crew) released second annual report on corrupt members of congress, titled beyond delay: 20 corrupt members of congress (and 5 watch). burns included 1 of 20 corrupt members of congress after having been listed in first annual report. organization said, ethics issues stem campaign contributions accepted in apparent exchange exercising authority chairman of appropriations subcommittee , on trip of staff members took 2001 super bowl.

abramoff , tribal contributions

burns had accepted $150,000 in contributions jack abramoff , clients , associates. later gave money away after democrats criticized connections lobbyist. 2 of burns s staffers later worked abramoff. in 2008, justice department notified burns no longer part of investigation.

contributions , connections

between 2001 , 2004, while chair of interior subcommittee on appropriations, burns received $150,000 in campaign contributions lobbyist jack abramoff, abramoff s clients , other donors connected abramoff. according 2006 report politicalmoneyline.com, published in roll call, burns received $192,090 in campaign contributions tribal entities between 2001 , 2005. in addition, friend of abramoff s said in october 2006 burns s staff ate many free meals @ abramoff s restaurant people joked have starved death without lobbyist. burns later returned money.

in december 2005, leader of tribe gave burns $22,000 in campaign contributions in 2002 said tribe had done solely @ abramoff s request , believed senator part of abramoff s group. in 2006 vanity fair article, abramoff quoted saying, every appropriation wanted senator conrad burns committee got. burns denied influenced abramoff.

beginning in 2001, mark baker, former burns aide chief lobbyist confederated salish , kootenai tribes in 2003 , 2004 , burns 2006 campaign chairman donated $9,000 burns , friends of big sky leadership pac. baker affiliated dc lobbying firm denny miller associates inc., members donated @ least $27,000 burns , pac during same time period.

tribal school

in january 2003, attempt 2 senators michigan money school of saginaw chippewa tribe of michigan, abramoff client , 1 of wealthiest tribes in country (each member gets $70,000 per year gambling profits), unsuccessful. bureau of indian affairs said tribe s school wasn t eligible, based on authorizing statute program. tribe, , abramoff, lobbyist, began working burns. abramoff s lobbying team had strong connections burns s staff. among ranks shawn vasell, appropriations aide shuttled , forth between jobs on burns s staff , abramoff s shop. ryan thomas, burns appropriations staffer, , burns s chief of staff, m. brooke, treated trip 2001 super bowl in florida on corporate jet leased abramoff s team.

in may 2003, burns , counterpart, charles taylor, chairman of house interior subcommittee, sent letter interior department, arguing saginaw chippewa s case. department , bureau remained firm in refusal. in late october 2003, before final vote on interior appropriations bill, burns inserted paragraph @ request of michigan senators – earmark – in bill s conference report. lifted previous restrictions , directed saginaw chippewa indians given $3 million tribal school.

the tribe donated $32,000 burns 2001 2003.

national bison range

in 1990s, burns opposed transfer of management of national bison range (nbr) in moiese, montana, confederated salish , kootenai tribes (cskt), introduced draft bill opposing tribal jurisdiction, , supported senator slade gorton s s. 1691, called tribal sovereign immunity question. @ time, burns said tribal sovereign immunity interfered citizens fifth amendment rights.

in 2001 , 2002, burns s policies changed, , dc staff told citizens of western montana not support legislation concerning tribal government unless 500+ tribes agree it.

in 2003, cskt renewed negotiations on nbr. fish , wildlife officials in denver stated @ time burns had authority stop management transfer. on march 14, 2005, day before new nbr agreement went effect tribes, cskt chairman fred matt wrote in missoulian guest column, sen. burns has been positive , aggressive advocate indian country... , burns understands , appreciates consultation indian country, our sovereignty, , our right self-determination.

involvement of staffers , aides

less 2 months after key earmark burns in october 2003, burns s chief of staff, brooke, went work abramoff @ lobbying firm greenberg traurig.

in june 2005, former burns staffer shawn vasell called witness @ hearing before senate committee on indian affairs. vasell registered lobbyist choctaw , coushatta tribes in 2001, joined burns s staff in 2002, rejoined abramoff s team lobbyist tribes in 2003. refused testify, citing fifth amendment right against self-incrimination.

mark baker, former legislative director burns, , burns s 2006 campaign chairman, paid $60,000 chief lobbyist confederated salish , kootenai tribes in 2003 , 2004. working through helena firm, anderson , baker, baker made $120,000 lobbying cskt business venture s&k technologies during same years, , $40,000 working cskt through giacometto group. leo giacometto burns s chief of staff 1995 1999.

returning of tainted campaign contributions

burns returned entirety of abramoff s personal donations charity. when possible, burns returned contributions tribes originated.

his attempt make $111,000 donation montana-wyoming tribal leaders council rejected; council said money tainted because came abramoff , clients. julia doney, president of fort belknap indian community council , member of tribal leaders council, said tribes tired of being used , didn t want burns political troubles.

the blackfeet community college refused accept money burns because came jack abramoff. james st. goddard, blackfeet council member, told great falls tribune taking money have made money clean. not want mr. burns use tribes more political gain.

inland northwest space alliance

in may 2006, university of montana spinoff had federal funding of more $4 million, through efforts burns, became part of investigation nasa office of inspector general. in 2004 inland northwest space alliance, nonprofit company, paid $270,000 software company, compressus, project management, via no-bid contract. in same year, compressus paid $220,000 in lobbying fees firm of burns s former chief of staff leo giacometto; insa paid giacometto $20,000 in fees year. burns s daughter, keely burns, invited join insa board, said had no involvement other attending organizational meetings. served on compressus s board of advisers year. in 2005, giacometto lobbyist university of montana, paid $79,750.

in october 2006, missoulian reported further problems imsa , university of montana s northern rockies center space privatization, has history of sharing employees insa, of whom related.

earlier in october 2006, washington d.c. newspaper roll call reported montana legislative auditors gave fbi evidence not included in june report indicating there clear criminal activity involved in alliance between insa, burns , giacometto. state officials roll call s report incorrect. have talked fbi agent , investigator nasa office of inspector general, missoula county attorney fred van valkenburg said. doing interviewing of witnesses , have not completed work. until do, won t proceed further.

comments firefighters

in july 2006, burns serendipitously met group of firefighters waiting flight home @ billings airport. according state report, told firefighters had done piss-poor job. had been working put out 92,000-acre (372 km) fire near billings. burns had earlier been speaking local ranchers unhappy way firefighters had done job. according spokesperson, burns had not yet spoken in authority in fire service, or heard firefighter s point of view.

the billings gazette reported, u.s. senator conrad burns pointed across billings airport sunday , accused member of elite firefighting team of not doing god damned thing , charged crew members sit around on job, original version of state report said.

burns surprised when told employee of montana department of natural resources , conservation firefighters in question made $8–12/hour.

on august 14, 2006, reporter daily press of newport news, virginia called burns s office comment on firefighter remark. young staffer answered, erroneously believing reporter friend, proceeded host of obscenity-laced comments not intended public consumption. aide @ 1 point allegedly said, ...you can tell senator george allen of virginia [vulgarity deleted]. democratic party called on burns apologize.

immigration comments

during debate in 2006 against democratic opponent jon tester, burns commented on telephone contractor when saw interview illegal immigrant on television. immigrant featured in interview said roofer , headed north. burns said told contractor, better go out , or won t house roofed.

at june meeting, burns said other day, little fella our maintenance work around house, s guatemala, , said, see green card? , hugo says, no. said, oh gosh. (burns spokesman jason klindt said worker in united states legally, owned painting company, , burns never had doubt legal resident.)

in august, @ campaign event, burns interrupted speech take cellphone call. after speaking bit , hanging up, told audience, hugo nice little guatemalan man doing painting me ... in virginia. after laughter audience, burns said no, s terrific, love him.

taxicab terrorists

on august 25, 2006 @ campaign event in miles city, burns said of military: thank god young people every day , every night fight enemy s taxicab driver in daytime killer @ night.

burns went on repeat taxicab driver analogy several times on next few days. on august 27, 2006 in butte, burns said: campaign next generation; if have safe world , secure world our kids can go bed @ night , not worry guy drives taxicab in daytime , kills @ night.

again, @ campaign event on august 30, 2006, burns, while discussing war on terrorism, spoke of faceless enemy of terrorists drive taxicabs in daytime , kill @ night.

a spokesman burns s campaign said point there terrorists live amongst us. not here, in britain , entire world. whether taxi drivers or investment bankers, fact remains new type of enemy.

untoward editing of wikipedia

in february 2006 reported unidentified member of burns s staff had sought remove mention of pejorative comments burns had made wikipedia entry , insert in place glowing praise voice of farmer . edits detected wikinews editors , later reported in press.