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Date Posted: Friday, January 06, 08:59:19am
Author: Ace
Subject: And...
In reply to: b 's message, "Re: Abramoff Deal Opens Trove of Information, let the pug sweating begin,,," on Thursday, January 05, 08:38:20am

Murray got $40,000 from Abramoff-connected tribes, intends to keep it

BY MATTHEW DALY

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., received more than $40,000 in contributions from out-of-state Indian tribes represented by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, campaign finance reports show.

Murray's total places her ninth among lawmakers — and second among Democrats — who received campaign donations from tribes associated with Abramoff, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington, D.C.-based group that tracks money in politics. The money was received from 1999 to 2005, the group said in a report posted on its Web site, www.opensecrets.org.

Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraud, corruption and tax evasion in a wide-ranging political corruption investigation. In Miami today, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud charges stemming from his 2000 purchase of a gambling boat fleet.

The contributions received by Murray were legal under federal election law, and a spokeswoman for the senator said she had no intention of returning the money or donating it to charity, as some lawmakers have done. Murray does not know Abramoff and has never met with him, spokeswoman Alex Glass said.

"This money is not coming from Jack Abramoff. It is not related to him," Glass said Wednesday.

Murray "received contributions from tribes," Glass said. "What we've seen throughout her career is she is a strong advocate for tribal sovereignty and tribal issues, and that's why tribes give to her."

A spokesman for Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith, meanwhile, said the Republican lawmaker is returning or giving away $8,500 in campaign contributions related to Abramoff.

Smith returned $3,500 in contributions to two tribes before Abramoff's guilty plea, and donated $4,000 to charity, including $2,000 received from Abramoff in 2001 and 2002, spokesman Chris Matthews said. A leadership committee that received $1,000 from a lobbying firm where Abramoff worked also donated the money to charity, Matthews said.

"Mr. Abramoff clearly engaged in shady business dealings, and Senator Smith believes the best thing is to return the money to the tribes and donate the other contributions to charity," Matthews said.

The Center for Responsive Politics said Smith had received $12,500 from Abramoff and his clients since 1999, but Matthews disputed that number. An accountant for Smith's campaign has reviewed campaign contributions in detail, but will continue to look into it, Matthews said.

Other Northwest lawmakers also received contributions from tribes connected to Abramoff, the report said, including Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. ($10,000); and former Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash. ($7,000).

A spokeswoman for Cantwell said the senator did not plan to return the money, but declined further comment.

Reps. Jay Inslee, D-Wash. ($5,000); Adam Smith, D-Wash. ($2,000); Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. ($1,500); and Norm Dicks, D-Wash., ($1,500) also received money from Abramoff-connected tribes, as did former Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash. ($1,500) and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. ($1,000), the report said.

The bulk of the money given to the Northwest lawmakers came from four casino-rich tribes concerned about gambling, school construction and other issues, the report said.

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe in Michigan gave the largest donations to a Northwest lawmaker, with $14,980 going to Murray from 2002 to 2004.

Murray also received $12,000 from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in California; $9,000 from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; and $5,000 from the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, the report said.

The money is a fraction of the overall support Murray has received from Indian tribes since being elected to the Senate in 1992, Glass said. A majority of Murray's tribal contributions have come from Washington state tribes, Glass said.

Murray is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a former member of the Senate Interior appropriations subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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Replies:

  • Need I say more? The scumbags you respect so... -- Ace, Friday, January 06, 09:10:42am
  • Re: Hehehe, that's funny. Poor pugs using deflection... -- BJ, Friday, January 06, 11:39:04am
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