Monetary Influence of Jack Abramoff - Campaign Contributions Returned or Donated

Campaign Contributions Returned or Donated

Many politicians have returned or donated all or part of the money received from Abramoff or his clients though only two lawmakers have given some of this money back to Native Americans. According to CBS, over 100 lawmakers have donated Abramoff related money to charity. It is not yet clear if donating the money will give them tax advantages in a way that returning the money would not or if these charities have a history of donating money or aiding favorable lawmakers in other ways.

President George W. Bush (R)

On January 4, 2005 President George W. Bush announced that his campaign will donate $6000 to the American Heart Association. The $6000 is the sum of the donations by Abramoff, Abramoff's wife, and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. The more than $100,000 in Bush Pioneer money raised by Abramoff, but not directly contributed by Abramoff will not be returned .

Republican Governors Association

On January 12, 2006, The Boston Globe reported paraphrased Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney, saying that "the Republican Governors Association would donate to charity $500,000 in contributions it received from a donor entwined in the Abramoff investigation."

U.S. Rep. J.D.Hayworth (R-AZ)

Rep.J.D. Hayworth, the largest single recipient of Abramoff related money and co-chairman of the Congressional Native American Caucus, has received more than $150,000 from Indian tribes once represented by Abramoff. Hayworth has said he will keep these donations because they were given independently of Abramoff's influence. He donated to charity $2,250 he got directly from Abramoff. The charity's name is unavailable, but was claimed to be related to Hurricane Katrina relief.

U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL)

Returned $2,500 contribution he received from Bob Ney. He has so far refused to return a quarter million dollars raised at a fundraiser co-chaired by Abramoff .

U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-MO)

On October 26, Sen. Jim Talent returned a $2,000 contribution made to his 2002 Senate campaign by Abramoff. Talent also returned a $1,000 contribution that Abramoff's former law firm made to Talent's re-election campaign earlier this year.

U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

Sen. Max Baucus gave $18,892 in Abramoff-related money he received to tribal colleges in Montana.

U.S. Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT)

Sen. Conrad Burns, the fourth largest recipient of Abramoff related money, some $60,000, announced that he would return or donate $150,000 he received from Abramoff and his clients. Via his spokesman he had previously claimed that the money could not be returned as the committee that received it was shut down and the money was "already spent".

Burns attempt to make a $111,000 "donation" to the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council was rejected by the tribe who said the money was tainted because it originally came from Abramoff and his clients.

Julia Doney, president of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, and a member of the tribal leaders council, explained that the tribes are "tired of being used" and don't want help Burns with his political troubles.

"it's tainted money" said Doney

The Blackfeet Community College has also refused to accept money Burns because it came from Jack Abramoff. James St. Goddard, a Blackfeet council member, told The Great Falls Tribune that taking the money "would have made it look like the money is clean. We do not want Mr. Burns to use the tribes any more for his political gain."

U.S. Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)

Rep. Dennis Rehberg returned $20,000.

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

On December 13, 2005 Sen. Byron Dorgan reported that he would return $67,000 in questionable donations from Abramoff's clients (the entirety of his "Abramoff-related money"). Dorgan was quoted as saying he would not "knowingly keep even one dollar in contributions if there is even a remote possibility that they could have been the result of any action Mr. Abramoff might have taken."

U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)

On August 18, 2005, Rep. Frank LoBiondo said he plans to give back the $1,000 contribution he received in 2001 from Abramoff.

U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ)

On August 18, 2005 Rep. Jim Saxton also returned a $1,000 contribution Abramoff made in 2001.

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

On January 5, 2006, Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign announced that it would contribute $2,000 in donations from American Indian tribe clients of lobbyist Jack Abramoff to a New York charity.

U.S. Rep. & Former Chairman of the House Transportation Committee Ernest Istook (R-OK)

On January 9, 2006, Rep. Ernest Istook announced he is giving $23,000 that was donated to his re-election campaign or his PAC to the Boy Scouts of America. This is in addition to $6,000 in Abramoff-related donations given to Indian health research last month. In December 2005, Rep. Ernest Istook, said he would donate a $1,000 campaign donation he received from Abramoff to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation for Indian health research. A $5,000 donation to a political action committee Istook was involved with will also be given to the OMRF.

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio(D-OR)

On January 9, 2006, the office of Rep. Peter DeFazio announced he will return $1,500 he received from out-of-state Indian tribes represented by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)

As the Virginia Democratic Party called on all Virginia Republicans in Congress to dump Abramoff's contributions, Virginia Representative and chief deputy Republican whip Eric Cantor announced that he would donate almost 10,000 of Abramoff money to charity on January 4.

U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis, III (R-VA)

At the same time, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that "Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, R-11th, planned to give to charity money from the Abramoffs and tribal clients, possibly totaling $4,500, according to an aide who was uncertain of the exact amount.

U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA)

Rep. J. Randy Forbes planned to give to charity $1,000 from the Abramoffs;

U.S. Senator John W. Warner (R-VA)

and Sen. John W. Warner, $1,000, from an Indian tribe."