Politicians from around the country are moving as quickly as possible to distance themselves from the tinge of guilt by being associated with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who this week pled guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Among his alleged illegal acts was getting money to politicians through American Indian tribes he represented, in some cases tribes with competing interests. Some elected officials have returned the funds from tribes or donated the money to charities when they believed that the money may have come after Abramoff's influence.
Washington state's two U.S. Senators both gained funds from tribal organizations, yet neither received tribal funds when the donation was influenced by Abramoff. Sen. Maria Cantwell said earlier in the week she would keep the money in her campaign fund, but late this week she said she was donating the money to an American Indian charity anyway. She is in a tough re-election battle this year, and she probably doesn't need any more scrutiny of her fundraising.
Sen. Patty Murray, meanwhile, said she had received upwards of $40,000 from tribal organizations, making her the eighth-highest recipient and second-highest Democrat. She emphasized none came via Abramoff's influence and said she would keep the money in her campaign fund.
The Seattle Times, in Sunday's editorial, said Sen. Murray should return the money. The Times says it should be returned to avoid any association of impropriety and to remove any taint associated with the current scandal.
I respectfully disagree. Murray said the money was not sent improperly. We should take her at her word, and if we learn otherwise, we should hold her accountable at that time. This is just one more example of exacerbating a problem by making people believe something is amiss where it is not. At a time when we should be seeking to point out a bright spot among our elected officials, The Seattle Times instead says to essentially admit guilt even though everyone knows there has been no crime. Sen. Murray has done nothing wrong; in fact, she has done everything right in this situation by checking her funds, determining there was no Abramoff connection and informing her constituents in Washington state.
The Times should not ask elected representatives to reach a false standard. Instead, they should recognize a good decision when it has been made to meet the high standard for good faith and open government.
-- Wenatchee, Wash.
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Senator Murray responded to the Seattle Times editorial with a letter to the editor printed in today's edition of the paper. The text is included in its entirety below.
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I'm writing in response to "Murray should return tainted money," [editorial, Jan. 8], regarding campaign contributions.
You are right about one thing: This story is all about appearances.
Jack Abramoff never darkened my door, and, as you wrote, he never donated to me. In fact, he sought my defeat by contributing to my opponent in 2003.
Apparently, The Times has decided that certain contributions are tainted no matter that they were legally given, legally reported and legally spent. The Times' message is: Return tribal money.
I will not join the rush to scapegoat those tribes who have already been victimized by Abramoff. Your easy answer would be fine if all I wanted was to score cheap points on being "clean."
But as someone who has stood as a partner with Native Americans and championed tribal sovereignty, I'm proud of their support. Your editorial asks, "How would she like to repeat that riff 25 times a day for the next five years ... ?"
I would rather repeat my support for tribes 25 times a day than to even once say "tribal money is tainted" just to make myself look better.
The people of Washington state know that blaming someone for the sins of another just for appearances' sake doesn't make anyone clean.
— Patty Murray, United States senator, D-Wash., Washington, D.C.
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