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January 06, 2006

Jack's Taint

The Hotline has compiled a list of lawmakers who've returned Abramoff, Abramoff-related and tribal donations, and where the money will end up.

Our subscribers will get the updated version today, but here's our list as of 12/5.

There are at least ways to look at the Abramoff money universe, some more benign. For example: is money given by the PACs of Preston Gates and Greenberg Traurig when Abramoff was a partner worth making a fuss over? These PACs certainly reflected the interests of their partners but there's no evidence that Abramoff directed or even influenced donations. Also: the firms had numerous clients represented by lawyers and lobbyists not named Jack Abramoff. What about tribal donations? Many lawmakers are keenly interested in Native American issues and received donations before, during and after Abramoff lobbied for the tribes. Criticize these donations and you're criticizing the system of interest-group campaign donations, not just Abramoff. What about money from Abramoff's colleagues? Some are implicated in the alleged wrondoings and others aren't. Personal donations belong in a category. At least two lawmakers in this survey refuse to return them, including Rep. Chuck Grassley, whose committee has investigated Abramoff and plans to write legislation to reform charity laws this year -- and Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA).

We have divided our list into several categories. The first list contains only Republicans because it includes lawmakers who received personal donations from Jack Abramoff and his wife and who have said they plan to return the money or donate it to charity. These members may also have received tribal or associate/client donations; where possible, we indicate what they plan to do with those donations. The second list contains those who plan to return money from Abramoff clients/associates but who did not, to our knowledge, ever receive personal donations from Abramoff or his wife. This category of donations includes the value of sitting in Abramoff's skybox at the MCI Center. The third list is comprised of those who refuse to return donations, either from Abramoff personally or from his associates and tribes. Most members on the third list did not recieve money directly from Abramoff. [JOSH KRAUSHAAR AND MARC AMBINDER]

Returned Abramoff Personal Donations

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) will return $8,500 in personal Abramoff donations but not donations from Abramoff clients. Charity unspecified.

Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) will return $12.5K from Abramoff and Preston Gates. The Salvation Army will be the beneficiary. (AP, 1/5)

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) will return personal contributions and associate contributions worth more than $42,000 to charity. (AP, 1/4)

Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN): donating both the $7K from Abramoff and $12K from Abramoff-connected tribes to the Autism Society, Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and Eisenhower Medical Center (Indianapolis Star, 1/5).

Pres. Bush will return $6K in personal donations from Abramoff; the benfeiciary is the American Heart Association. Abramoff, a Bush Pioneer, raised more than $100K for Bush's presidential campaigns. (multi, 1/5)

Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) in Dec. gave back $150K in Abramoff and tribal donations. (AP, 1/4)
Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT): returning $2K from Abramoff, but not the $7K in Abramoff-connected tribal donations (Gehrke, Salt Lake Tribune, 1/5).

Rep. Eric Cantor will return $10K in Abramoff and Abramoff-related donations. The beneficiary will be a Richmond, VA charity. Hardin, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/4)

Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) "is considering" returning $500 from Abramoff. (Detroit News, 1/5)

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS): will donate $8K given to him from Abramoff to Katrina hurricane relief, but is keeping tribal money connected to Abramoff (Radelat, Clarion-Ledger, 1/5).

Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY) will give a $250 Abramoff donation to the Wyoming Substance Abuse Treatment Center in Sheridan, WY. (AP, 1/4)

Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA): returning $500 from Abramoff, another $4K from Abramoff-connected tribes (Hotline reporting).

Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC): returned $1K

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV): donated $10K -- $5K directly from Abramoff -- to Nevada Patriot Fund, which gives money to families of soldiers killed or wounded in Iraq (Abrahms, Reno Gazette-Journal, 1/5).

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) will give $1K from Abramoff to a WY charity. (AP, 1/4)

Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL): return unspecified donation from Abramoff

Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ): gave $2K to Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation, $1K was given directly from Abramoff

Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL): donated $2K to a local drug and alcohol rehab center said he would not return an additional $3K from two Abramoff-connected tribes (Clark, Miami Herald, 1/5).

Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL): received $69K, $2.5K of it directly from Abramoff and is donating all of it to charity (Tibbetts, Quad City Times, 1/5).

Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) will give %2,250 from Abramoff to the Salvation Army's Katrina relief fund but won't give back "hundreds of thousands" from tribes. (AP 1/5)

Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) will return personal donations. (AP, 1/4)

Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC): returned $1K

Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA): received $1K from Abramoff, directed campaign treas. to donate money to Greater IA Chapter of Alzherimer's Assn. (Skipper, Globe-Gazette, 1/5).

Rep. Frank Lobiondo (R-NJ) will return a $1K personal donation from Abramoff. (Gannett News Service, 8/17/05)

Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO): donating $1K received from Abramoff's wife to Crossroads Safe House, a domestic violence shelter (Sprengelmeye, Rocky Mountain News, 1/5).

Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) gave $6.5K to the American Indian College Fund in money he said was received from Abramoff and his partner Michael Scanlon. The donation was a bit shy of the amount of money hre received from Abramoff and his SunCruz casino company (Wheeling News-Register, 1/5).

Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS): donating $2.5K he received from Abramoff to Katrina hurricane relief, but will keep the $15K from Abramoff-connected tribal clients (Clarion-Ledger, 1/5).

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) in '05 returned personal donations from Abramoff. (multi)

Rep. Ralph Regula gave $1K to American Indian College Fund, kept other Abramoff-connected tribal donations

Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) will donate to charity nearly $20K from Abramoff and clietns. (AP, 12/17)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI): donating $950 to USO Operation Phone Home and the American Heart Ass'n (Schultze/Walters, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 1/4).

Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ) in '05 returned a $1K contribution from Abramoff. (Gannett News Service, 8/17/05)

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL): returning $1K

Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT): gave $1.25K to Katrina hurricane relief fund

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR): donated $2K in money received directly from Abramoff in '01 and '02, and an additional $4K to charity that he received from tribes. He returned $3.5K in money from two tribes before Abramoff's plea (AP/Seattle Post Intelligencer, 1/5).

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK): received $11.5K, $1K directly from Abramoff, and donated all of it to charity. Stevens donated the $1K from Abramoff to the AK Red Cross (Ruskin, Anchorage Daily News, 1/5).

Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) will return donations from "two groups connected with Abramoff." In '05, he returned $2K from Abramoff and $1K from Preston Gates. (AP, 1/5)

Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY): donating $8K, including $2K directly from Abramoff, to victims of tornado in Wright, WY (AP, 1/5).

Sen. John Thune (R-SD): donating $2K from Abramoff to a SD domestic abuse shelter (AP, 1/5).

Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM): donated $1K to Greater SW Boy Scouts of America, keeping $4K from Abramoff-connected tribes (Coleman, Albuquerque Journal, 1/5).

Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS): donating $250 received from Abramoff in '96 to MS Hurricane relief (Clarion-Ledger, 1/5).

Returned At Least Some Donations From Abramoff Clients/Associates; Did Not Recieve Direct Contributions

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT): returned about $19K in Abramoff-connected donations, including use of Abramoff's MCI Center skybox (AP, 12/19).

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) will donate $2K to a charity in NY. (Hotline reporting, 1/5)

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND): donated $3.75K.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) will return $500

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR): giving $1.5K to a charity (Corvallis Gazette Times, 1/5).

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) returned $67K in Abramoff-connected tribal donations (Bismarck Tribune, 12/14).

Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH): likely returning the $1K to Chippewa tribe (Ruton, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/5).

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL): donating $11K from Abramoff-related money to two Chicago-area groups that serve Native Americans (MSNBC, "First Read," 1/5).

Rep. Phil English (R-PA) will return $5K from Abramoff tribes.

Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL): said he'd donate $2K he received from an Abramoff-connected tribe to the Community Caring Conf. of Rock Island (Felker, Quad-Cities Dispatch, 1/5).

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) will return $1K.

Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX): $2K to Boys And Girls Club Of Greater Fort Worth

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH): donating $12K

Maj Ldr Bill Frist (R-TN): returning $2K given to his PAC from Abramoff-linked tribe (Theobald, Tennessean, 1/5).

Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL): returning $3K

Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA) will donate $1K to womens charities. (AP, 1/5)

Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA) will return $1K. (AP, 1/5)

Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL): donating $2K back to MS Band Of The Choctaw Indian Tribe

Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA) will return $6K from Abramoff's tribal clients. He'll donate to an unspecified charity. (AP, 1/5)

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD): donating $8.25K to org. that "helps Native Americans" (AP, 1/5).

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) will give $4K in tribal donations to charity. (AP, 1/4)

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) will return $2K from tribes.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will return money donated by two tribes who Abramoff repped at the time of donation. No charity specified. But McCain will not return $5K from three tribes who later affiliated with Abramoff. (AP, 1/4)

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): donating $18K from tribes to the Wayside Christian Mission (Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/5).

Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA): donating $35K of the $52.75K he received from Abramoff-connected tribes to the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club in Shreveport.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will give $19.5K to the Wayside Christian Mission. (AP, 1/5)

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD): donated $5K to American Indian College Fund (Washington Post, 1/5).

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (R-ND): spokesperson said he "will be returning" $6.95K this week (Bismarck Tribune, 1/5).

Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH): donating $8K to charity

Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) will return $32K from tribes and give it to the Unite Foundation. (Carroll, Courier Journal, 1/5)

Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA) will return $1K from tribes.

Sen. John Sununu (R-NH): donating $3K

Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY): donating $2K to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Sen. John Warner (R-VA): returned $1K to charity.

Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) will return $2K.

Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL): donating $500 to charity

Members Who Decline to Return Donations From Abramoff and/or from Abramoff Clients/Associates

Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA): spokesperson said her relationship with tribes was "long-standing" and won't return $21.5K in money from them.

Rep. Jim Bunning (R-KY) received $1K from Abramoff; he has not yet returned the money. (Carroll, Courier Journal, 1/5)

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA): received $10K from tribes connected to Abramoff since '99, but she does "not plan to return the money" (AP/Seattle Post Intelligencer, 1/5).

Rep. Phil English (R-PA): not returning $5K in Abramoff-connected tribal money. English CoS Bob Holste: "We've always had some tribal supporters, there are tribes near the district in New York" (Erie Times-News, 1/5).

Sen. Chuck Grassley R-IA received a $1K donation from Abramoff in '03. He won't return it. Abramoff also donated $5K to Grassley's Hawkeye PAC. Three tribes donated an additional $13K. Preston Gates' PAC donated $3,500. (AP, 1/5)

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) says the tribes who gave his campaign and PAC $4K were duped by Abramoff. (AP, 1/4)

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA): received $5K from the Abramoff-connected MS Band of Choctaw and Chitimacha Tribe of LA. Spokesperson Christine Hanson: "Jay did not know Abramoff. The money was not given to him by Abramoff. This had nothing to do with Abramoff -- none of it" (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1/5).

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) will not return the $42.5K "he took from tribes" repped by Abramoff. Kennedy's CoS: "He's proud to have their support. He's got direct personal relationships with tribes." (AP, 1/5)

Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) received less than $10K from Abramoff-affiliated tribes. He won't return the money becayse he does not believe they supported his campaign because of Abramoff. (AP, 1/5)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR): spokesperson said she had no dealings with Abramoff and "sees no need" to return her $2K from a MS tribe (Barton, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS): keeping $22K from Abramoff clients, spokesperson said Lott never met with Abramoff (Clarion Ledger, 1/5).

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): received over $40K in contributions from "out-of state Indian tribes" represented by Abramoff, but her spokesperson said she "had no intention of returning the money or donating it to charity." Murray "does not know" Abramoff. Spokesperson Alex Glass: "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" (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1/5).

Min Ldr Harry Reid(D-NV): said he has "no plans" to return about $61K in money from Abramoff's tribal clients. Spokesperson Tessa Hafen: "He's done nothing wrong and sees no reason why he owuld need to donate it" (Reno Gazette-Journal, 1/5).

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) received less than $10K from Abramoff-affiliated tribes. He won't return the money becayse he does not believe they supported his campaign because of Abramoff.

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) declined to return $894 given to him by Abramoff because his CoS says it was an "in-donation" for an event in '00. (AP, 1/15)

**Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) received $4K from Abramoff personally. He has not said whether he will return the money. (AP, 1/5)

Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH): received $1K from Abramoff-connected tribe. Turner spokesperson Andy Bloom: "He's never met Jack Abramoff, and he doesn't know Jack Abramoff and it was a valid campaign contribution" (Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/5).

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR): received $1K from Abramoff-connected Saginaw tribe, spokesperson said he "would not return the money" (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1/5).

Posted at 09:26 AM

Comments

Thanks are due for this incredibly extensive research.

ethan | 01.06.06 02:38 PM

I hope everyone realizes that giving back this money doesn't fix anything. The damage was done when these Congresspeople allowed this money to influence their vote... and those votes cannot be taken back.

If anything, this money shows who feels guilty... and those who don't return the money when they should will be beaten down so as to trip over a dime.

I don't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat, every bill will be under scrutiney. If you can't justify every one of your votes with something other than a financial contribution to your campaign... you're toast!

Stevo | 01.06.06 02:44 PM

Taint?

Ew.

nitpicker | 01.06.06 03:05 PM

One point here- Democrat or Republican, just because someone accepted a donation from Jack or someone connected to him does not automatically make that Congressman dirty. Additionally, while there are some people who use donations to try to influence Congressmen, most donate to support people they already know support their own positions. Taking money from someone and then later voting to support that person's position is not illegal or even unethical if you held that view to begin with.

david | 01.06.06 04:18 PM

Why hasn't Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu returned any of her money? Too busy praising rapid Katrina response politicians?

putawaythecrooks | 01.06.06 06:09 PM

Great!

Would be nice to see some graphs of this data.. How was the cash spread R-D? Who got the most and why? (if there is dates connected to donations that might indicate connections to particular votes and such)

davideo | 01.06.06 06:41 PM

While taking Abramoff money doesn't make you a criminal, we don't yet know what strings may have been attached to that money.

Clearly, the Republican Revolution was a scam. They have produced almost none of their stated goals (and term limits doesn't need to be made an amendment before they can leave office, does it?). In fact, if anything, they have exacerbated the problems they promised to fix.

On top of all that, most conservatives know this: since the Republicans took power the Democrats might as well go home. That is, about half this nation (probably more than half in light of the election irregularities) is effectively without representation and those who ARE represented have no idea what they bargained for!

They too are getting the sh&t reamed out of them and they think the problem is that the operation is just going too slowly. What we need is MORE reaganomics. What we need is MORE deregulation. What we need is more and bigger S&L rip-offs, more Enron thefts, more Halliburton bilkings, more bad food, more murcury in our vaccinations, more bad water, more bad air, higher priced fuels for our cars, and great looking charts of the activity on the stock market while housing and health costs go through the roof and wages stagnate.

That, somehow, they believe is "economic recovery".

I'd say it's terminal denial.

Faith-based insanity.

Demand your prayers back America. The ones you wasted on this President and the Republican Party.

You'll very likely need them.

rainbow sally | 01.07.06 09:21 AM

You dont have enough Democrat's up here.. You only have info on 12 Democrat senator's as many as 40 (out of 45, lol) are implicated.

Personally I think they should go to Jail, dosnt matter what letter they stick next to there name.

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January 06, 2006

Jack's Taint

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