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Ex-Montana Sen. Conrad Burns Dies at 81

Burns died of natural causes at his home in Billings

By Dillon Tabish

HELENA — Former Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, a former cattle auctioneer whose folksy demeanor and political acumen earned him three terms and the bitter disdain of his opponents, died Thursday. He was 81.

Burns died of natural causes at his home in Billings, Montana Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Essmann said.

“He was a colorful figure who loved people, politics and to serve,” Essmann said. “He brought a common-man, common-sense approach to his work in the Senate and returned to his home in Billings when his work was done.”

As a Republican senator, Burns used his influence on the powerful Appropriations committee to set the course on energy development and public lands management across the rural West. But he was ousted from office in 2006 under the specter of scandal after developing close ties to “super-lobbyist” Jack Abramoff, who was later jailed for conspiracy and fraud.

No charges were ever filed against Burns, who dismissed criticism over the affairs as “old political hooey.”

After working as a livestock auctioneer, Burns in 1975 moved into broadcast radio, founding four stations known as the Northern Ag Network. The network eventually grew to serve 31 radio and TV stations across Montana and Wyoming, offering agricultural news to rural areas.

He sold the network in 1985 and — capitalizing on his name recognition — made his first foray into politics a year later, when he was elected commissioner for Yellowstone County in south-central Montana.

Before his first term was completed, Burns took on incumbent U.S. Sen. John Melcher, a two-term Democrat described by Burns opponent as “a liberal who is soft on drugs, soft on defense and very high on social programs.”

At the age of 53, he won election to the Senate by a 3-percentage-point margin. He rose to be one of the most influential positions in Washington with his seat on the Appropriations committee, serving as chairman of the Interior Subcommittee.

Burns became a strong advocate for increased domestic energy production and expanded development of natural resources. But even before his first term was over, Burns’ loose-talking ways — once credited with earning him favor among Montana’s rural electorate — landed him in trouble.

After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the senator invited a group of lobbyists to a “slave auction” and later used a racial slur for blacks when relating a conversation he had with a Montana rancher. The resulting furor had little impact on his 1994 campaign, which he won in a landslide.

During the 2000 campaign, the controversy around Montana’s backslapping senator nearly caught up with him. He prevailed by only a thin margin over rancher Brian Schweitzer, who went on to become governor four years later.

By the end of his third term, however, Burns had been affixed with the same Washington-insider label that he had used successfully against Melcher. His close ties to lobbyist Abramoff lent credence to the accusation, and his bid for a fourth term came up about 3,000 votes short against the president of the Montana Senate, Democrat Jon Tester.

Burns had long cultivated a reputation as being a plain talker, but by the time he left office, his incautious remarks had become legendary. The press catalogued derogatory comments directed at women, Arabs and even out-of-state firefighters who had come to Montana to battle a 2006 blaze near his hometown of Billings.

“He had that fresh approach of just saying what he thought and not being very political,” said Taylor Brown, a friend and fellow Republican who bought the Northern Ag Network from him. “That was probably his biggest weakness in the end. He just said what he thought.”

After leaving office, Burns went to work for his former chief of staff in a Washington lobbying firm, Gage Business Consulting. But the Abramoff scandal followed him, and he eventually gave away $150,000 in contributions from the lobbyist, his clients and friends.

After the U.S. Justice Department launched a probe of Burns’ ties to the affair, he said he made nearly 10 years of records from his Senate office available to the government for review, including all electronic records. When the investigation was dropped in 2008 with no charges filed, he said he had never been interviewed as part of the investigation.

He credited his “thick hide and clear conscience” for helping him withstand the public scrutiny.

“There’s a hundred lobbyists who walk through that door every week,” Burns said in 2006. “If you don’t have a deep-seated philosophy then you might find yourself getting lost. I vote my philosophy first.”

Born in 1935 in Davies County, Missouri, Burns studied agriculture at the University of Missouri for two years before joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 1955. He first came to Montana as a regional salesman for Polled Hereford World magazine, and later settled in Billings to become the manager of a regional livestock expo in 1968.


Condolences rolled in Thursday night as word of former U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns’ death spread across Montana. Burns died of natural causes at his home in Billings, Montana Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Essmann said. Here is what some of the state’s leaders had to say:

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“Senator Burns was very committed to the success of Montana and its people. He was a colorful figure who loved people, politics, and to serve. He brought a common man, common sense approach to his work in the Senate and returned to his home in Billings when his work was done.” — Montana Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Essmann.

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“Conrad passed away with his boots on, active and engaged until the very end.” — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.

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“The very first time I met Conrad was at the Montana Agri-Trade Exposition in Billings. I had listened to his broadcasts on the radio for years, but I’ll never forget hearing that powerful voice from across the room. Sharla and I send our thoughts to the entire Burns family and people of Montana as we remember the life of a man who loved this state.” — U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

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“Conrad was a dedicated public servant and a fierce advocate for Montana — especially rural Montana — in the United States Senate and at home, with an unrivaled sense of humor to boot.” Gov. Steve Bullock.

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“Anyone who knew Conrad knew how much he loved and cared for our great state. And anyone who knew Conrad loved his wit and his one-liners. Conrad Burns was a leader who worked tirelessly for the interests of Montana. He will forever be remembered.” — Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte.