WASHINGTON -- Ryan Thomas, a staffer for Sen. Conrad Burns who accepted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's invitation to a 2001 Super Bowl trip, this week defended his role in working to secure a grant for one of Abramoff's tribal clients and said he only acted on other senators' requests.

Thomas, who works on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he has not been contacted by the Justice Department as its investigators probe the indicted lobbyist's dealings. But he told the Lee Washington Bureau that he "reached out to the Senate Ethics Committee to make sure they had any information they needed.

"Nothing leads me to believe I am involved in any part of the investigation as I have not been contacted by either the Department of Justice or the Senate Ethics Committee for further information,'' Thomas said, adding that he has not hired a lawyer.

As an employee of the Appropriations panel, Thomas dealt with grants for Indian tribes, including one for a Michigan tribe that has stirred controversy because of Burns' role in pressing the Interior Department on it. Burns helped secure the $3 million grant for the Saginaw Chippewas of Michigan, one of Abramoff's clients, even though the tribe's casino makes it one of the wealthiest tribes in the country.

The Washington Post reported earlier this year that Thomas "took the lead in tangling with Interior officials over the funding'' for the $3 million grant. Thomas disputed that characterization.

"All actions taken were in response to active requests from other senators and their delegated staff,'' he said. "I was one of many staffers whose jobs required us to make sure we were being responsive to the requests of senators before the subcommittee. In this case (Michigan) Senators (Debbie) Stabenow and (Carl) Levin had expressed interest to the subcommittee and submitted a letter of request for the Saginaw school.''

Burns has decided to return nearly $150,000 in donations from Abramoff, his co-workers and his tribal clients. But Burns insists that neither the contributions nor Abramoff's actions influenced Burns' support for the grant and that he acted solely at the request of Michigan's two senators, both Democrats.

Thomas also said that his work was not influenced by contacts with members of Abramoff's lobbying team from the Greenberg Traurig firm.

"My office door is open to every tribe and the representation they choose to hire,'' Thomas said. "I had no more contact with the tribes represented by Greenberg than I did with any other tribes that brought information or concerns to me. I tell all tribes they must have the support of their congressional delegation and request letters from their senators submitted to the subcommittee for us to act upon.''

Thomas noted that at no time did he work directly for Burns, but rather was, and remains, an employee of the Senate Appropriations Committee assigned to the Interior Subcommittee, which Burns chairs.

Will Brooke, Burns' former chief of staff who also took the 2001 Super Bowl trip, has voluntarily contacted the Justice Department to offer information in the Abramoff probe. Brooke, who quit Burns' staff in December 2003 to join Abramoff's lobbying firm and has since started his own firm, has hired a lawyer in the matter.

The two flew on a corporate jet leased by Abramoff's lobbying group to the 2001 Super Bowl and attended the game at Abramoff's invitation.

Congressional rules prohibit staffers taking trips paid for by lobbyists or lobbying firms. But Thomas said he understood the 2001 Super Bowl trip to be paid for by a federally recognized tribe. Because such trips sponsored by tribes are considered as paid for by a government entity, employees need not file paperwork reporting them, as they must with trips paid for by outside groups.

"Those taking the trip were explicitly told it was being paid for by a tribal sovereign nation, as allowed under Senate ethics guidelines, and tribal members would be attending,'' Thomas said. "It is my understanding the ethics committee has been fully informed and consulted throughout the process.''

But the trip was actually sponsored by SunCruz, a Florida casino cruise line then owned by Abramoff and several partners, according to the Washington Post. One of those partners was Adam Kidan, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to wire fraud and to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in relation to his and Abramoff's deal in 2000 to purchase a fleet of SunCruz gambling boats.

Kidan gave $5,000 to Burns' Friends of the Big Sky PAC on Feb. 27, 2001.

That was the largest donation Kidan made to any one candidate, according to federal records. Jack Abramoff gave the same amount to the same PAC just five days earlier. Both listed their employer as Preston, Gates & Ellis, where Abramoff worked until moving to Greenberg Traurig in mid-2001.

Kidan's plea may increase pressure on Abramoff to make his own deal with federal investigators that could involve providing information about his fundraising and lobbying efforts.

Kidan's lawyer, Joe Conway, said Kidan's "agreement with the government requires him to cooperate in any area he has knowledge of criminal wrongdoing and any present or future investigation the government questions him about. I am not at liberty to speak on what investigations the government is pursuing.''

Asked why his client made the $5,000 donation to Burns, Conway responded, "I have to give you a no comment on that at this time.''