Will Burns suffer same consequences?

Editor,

I found the following information to be very interesting, and it makes me wonder if Conrad Burns will suffer the same consequences.

U.S. Representative Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican, is facing more than two years in prison after becoming the first lawmaker to admit criminal conduct in connection with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Ney, 52, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and making false statements, admitting in court papers that he accepted gifts and travel from Abramoff and thousands of dollars in gambling chips from another business executive in return for legislative favors. The congressman also said he has a problem with alcohol dependence and is seeking professional help.

Abramoff and three former colleagues already pled guilty to improperly influencing Ney.

"The dominos started falling and Ney just got painted into a corner," said Hoshua Berman, a former Justice Dept. prosecutor, and a partner at Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, LLP, in Washington, DC. "This is going to happen a lot over the next two years. They are going to continue to make these cases until there are no more to be made."

I wonder, do the folks who are pouring money in Burns' campaign realize this?

Just how huge is this? In one instance, Abramoff treated Ney and two aides to a golf trip to Scotland that cost more than $160,000. The outing also included Ney aides Will Heaton and Paul Vinovich, Christian activist Ralph Reed, lobbyists Volz and Safavian, at the time the chief of staff at the General Services Administration. How far-reaching is this proven pattern of criminal activity?

Will it also extend to Conrad Burns? I believe it will, since Burns is one of the top recipients of Abramoff's "generosity."

This wave of corruption that has plagued Washington must be stopped. If you are a Burns supporter, and the fact that Time magazine recently named Burns as one of the five worst senators among the current 100 serving in the Senate, wasn't enough to make you rethink your decision; please check the facts and pray about it. That's all I ask.

Claire Adrienne

Polson