The DoJ's Bullseye On Conrad Burns' Chest

If I was Montana Sen. Conrad Burns (R), right about now I'd start getting really nervous. Over the last three days, a series of highly damaging stories have come out about Burns - the details of which Justice Department investigators probing the Jack Abramoff scandal are likely feasting on.

The first story came in Montana's local papers detailing Burns' shady ties to powerful lobbyists. Then another local story detailed his use of a shady non-profit. The next story came in Roll Call today, noting:

"For nearly a decade, a group of former top aides to Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) have successfully used personal and professional connections to Burns, Montana State University’s Burns Technology Center and other institutions associated with him to secure more than $20 million in lobbying fees for themselves, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research contracts, tax breaks and subsidies for their clients. Since 1998, more than a dozen companies in the telecommunications and high-tech sector — ranging from international powerhouses such as Microsoft, Intelsat and Lockheed Martin to homegrown outfits including Montana-based Bacterin and Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Advanced Acoustic Concepts — have paid lobbying retainers to former Burns aides, including Leo Giacometto, William Brooke, Brett Scott, Mark Baker, Randell Popelka, Stan Ullman, Shawn Vasell, Mike Rawson and Robert Arensberg."

And now, the really bad one - Vanity Fair publishes an exclusive interview with indicted GOP lobbyist Abramoff where Abramoff points a big finger at Burns. Stay tuned for Burns' response - you can bet it will be another non-denial denial.

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