The Anti-Sam Brownback Blog

Looks like Senator Sam Brownback may be tied to the Jack Abramoff scandal. Why am I not suprised? Bloomberg reports:

When the U.S. Interior Department rejected a $3 million grant in 2003 for an Indian-tribe client of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the Indians doubled their political donations to Congress — and got their money’s worth.

A joint House-Senate committee agreed later that year to insert the grant in legislation funding the Interior Department for 2004. The Saginaw Chippewa tribe gave $556,730 to U.S. lawmakers in 2003-2004, up from $237,980 in the previous two years, and more than one-fifth went to 17 of the 30 committee members.

Burns received more money from Abramoff and his tribal clients than any other lawmaker between 2001 and 2004, taking in $136,500. Dorgan ranked fourth, with $54,000. Two other members of the conference committee were among the 10 biggest recipients: Republican Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, who received $43,000; and Republican Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, who got $37,000.

“It looks like there is some connection between the contributions and the activities, if in no other way than the timing and the way it was done, in conference,'’ said Noble, now executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group that studies campaign finance.

This all wouldn’t matter much if Abramoff was going to keep quiet and take a hit for everyone else. Thankfully, the New York Times is hinting that a plea agreement could be right around the corner. The Republican culture of corruption may finally see the light of day.