Arturo Senclair, governor of the Tigua tribe, said then that Burns should have returned the money by donating it to a charity that benefits the Tiguas, who hired Abramoff to help reopen a casino that had been shut down.
“If they feel that they have to give it back, they should give it back to the tribe,” he said.
In his statement, Baker said Burns will contact the tribes that originally donated the campaign dollars “and determine from their counsel which charitable organization a comparable contribution should be given.”
Remaining money, Baker said, will be divided among Montana’s seven tribal colleges.
Montana-Wyoming council chairman Jay St. Goddard says there was intense debate among council members, and that some tribes would have been willing to accept the money individually instead of through the council.
“They are looking not to jeopardize some of the things they have going with the Senator,” St. Goddard says of those tribes.
As part of a plea agreement, Abramoff agreed to share information with investigators about alleged bribes to lawmakers and their aides in a wide-ranging influence-peddling probe. The investigation could involve many aides and members of Congress, including Burns.
Burns has denied he was influenced by donations from Abramoff.
— Associated Press
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