Repub. Senator gets donations from Southwest Airlines, introduces bill

[Bluebear]

Senator's spokesman says gifts played no role in bill to allow Southwest to expand routes.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign, who introduced a bill this week to allow Southwest Airlines to expand routes out of Dallas, received $4,500 from the airline's chairman and its political action committee in May.

Herb Kelleher, Southwest's chairman, contributed $2,000 to Ensign's re-election campaign on May 16, according to Federal Election Commission reports. On the same day, the Southwest Airlines Co. Freedom Fund PAC gave Ensign $2,500.

The contributions came at a time when Ensign was weighing how much to get involved in legislation that would impact the airline. Ensign spokesman Jack Finn told a reporter on May 2 the senator was undecided.

Ensign also received an earlier donation from the Freedom Fund PAC. The airline committee contributed $2,500 to the senator on Oct. 13, 2003. Ensign declined to be interviewed Friday. Finn said the contributions "played no role whatsoever" in the senator's legislation to benefit Southwest.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jul-23-Sat-2005/news/26928241.html