Rehberg campaign returns Abramoff-related donations

By JENNIFER McKEE
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA - U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., on Friday returned $19,900 in campaign donations from indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, his tribal clients and co-workers, while Democratic Sen. Max Baucus had not yet decided if he will return $6,000 from Abramoff tribal clients.

The executive director of the Montana Republican Party said the party would return any donations linked to Abramoff, but wasn't aware that it had any.

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Montana Democratic Party said Friday he was unsure if the group would return a $5,000 donation from Abramoff tribal clients that federal records show the group received in 2002.

The announcements came a day after Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., said he was returning $150,000 in Abramoff-related donations amid scrutiny of Burns' possible actions on behalf of Abramoff clients.

In announcing the return of the funds, Burns challenged all politicians and political parties to do the same.

Abramoff is at the center of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into lobbying abuses that reportedly has involved at least four lawmakers, including Burns. The probe centers on allegations that Abramoff bilked casino-rich American Indian tribes out of millions of dollars for lobbying and directed the tribes to make contributions to lawmakers and political groups.

Burns received more campaign donations from Abramoff, his clients and co-workers than any other lawmaker, more than $146,000 between 1999 and 2004, a Washington Post tally showed.

No other Montana politician has been linked to the Abramoff probe.

Rehberg has received just less than $20,000 in donations from Abramoff and his clients. Spokesman Erik Iverson said the congressman returned all of the money to the American Indian tribes that gave it except for $2,000 donated by Abramoff himself.

None of the tribes were from Montana.

Instead of returning the $2,000 to the lobbyist, who is under indictment in Florida on an unrelated matter, Rehberg donated $1,000 each to the domestic violence centers on the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Indian reservations.

"It's all done," Iverson said. "The checks are out the door."

Records show Baucus received $6,000 from Abramoff's tribal clients in 2001 and 2002.

Baucus spokesman Barrett Kaiser said the senator wasn't sure if he would return the money.

"Max has directed his staff to perform a detailed analysis of (Abramoff-related) contributions and the circumstances surrounding them," Kaiser said in a prepared statement.

Baucus would be "more than happy" to return the money if the inquiry turned up anything questionable, but Kaiser said the senator had never met Abramoff and his staff had never worked with him.

"Making comparisons (between Baucus and Burns) is like putting apples to oranges," he said.

The Montana headquarters of both the state Democratic and Republican parties were also going through their records Friday checking for any donations from Abramoff or his clients.

Chuck Denowh, executive director of the Montana Republican Party, said officials hadn't found any Abramoff-related donations as of Friday afternoon.

"If we do have any, we'll return it," Denowh said.

Records show the Montana Democratic Party received $5,000 from an Abramoff tribal client in 2002.

Executive Director Jim Farrell said the party was still trying to confirm the donation Friday afternoon and had not yet decided if the party would return the money.