In the April 2006 issue of Vanity Fair, disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff boasts of his close ties to Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) and Burns' staff.

Burns is chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee, which handles funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service and related Indian programs. Burns inserted language into the 2004 appropriations bill to set aside money for Abramoff's wealthy tribal clients.

"Every appropriation we wanted we got," Abramoff tells the magazine. "Our staffs were as close as they could be. They practically used Signatures as their cafeteria," he added, referring to his shuttered Washington, D.C., restaurant.

Burns has denied being influenced by Abramoff and has claimed he secured funding for Abramoff's clients because other senators asked for the appropriations. He has accused Abramoff of "ripping off" tribes and once said he wished Abramoff had "never been born."

�That�s quite a statement, coming from a pro-life Republican," Abramoff says in response.

Get the Story:
Abramoff sounds off on Burns (The Helena Independent Record 3/9)

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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