REHBERG’S WILD TRIP TO KAZAKHSTAN
In May 2004, Rehberg led Montana groups on a trade mission to Kazakhstan. Following the trip, an
anonymous email was sent to Democratic operatives and reporters from someone who suggested they
were connected to the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan claiming that Rehberg, and other members of the
delegation, “embarrassed the Embassy and the UNITED STATES with their antics. Every single one of
them was drunk the entire time.” The email specifically stated that Rehberg drank about 20 shots of
vodka during an official event, mocked the national Kazakh costume, called the locals “Coneheads,”
and got trampled by a horse after falling off another one drunk. Rehberg acknowledged drinking some
vodka and being trampled by a horse, but disputed the allegations of how much he drank or that he was
drunk when injured by the horse.
REHBERG’S INFAMOUS TRIP TO KAZAKHSTAN ORGANIZED BY LOBBYIST
May 2004: Rehberg Traveled To The United Kingdom And Kazakhstan. According to
cqmoneyline.com, between May 25, 2004 and May 31, 2004, Rehberg traveled to the United Kingdom
and Kazakhstan. The trip was sponsored by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for a
total cost of $1,856. According to the Great Falls Tribune, Senator Conrad Burns also made the trip with
Rehberg. Rehberg and Burns were leading Montana groups on a trade mission. [cqmoneyline.com;
Great Falls Tribune, 6/11/04]
Kazakhstan Trip Was Organized By Lobbyist Leo Giacommetto. According to Talking Points
Memo, “On May 29, 2004 Ted Monoson of the Gazette Washington bureau reported that Sen. Burns
and Rep. Rehberg would be traveling to Kazakhstan on a trip organized by lobbyist and former Burns
chief of staff Leo A. Giacometto and 3 of the 14 people who joined the trip would be employees of
companies that are Giacometto's clients.” [Talking Points Memo, 4/25/2006]
Rehberg Trip to Kazakhstan Included Lobbyist. As reported by the Helena Independent Record, “In
2003, the network helped organize a Capitol Hill panel discussion about technology issues in Asia. In
2004, it arranged a trip to Kazakhstan. Burns, Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., Giacometto and a
Qualcomm lobbyist attended, among others.” [Helena Independent Record, 3/4/2006]
Rehberg Was There to Start Business Partnership With Kazakhstan. According to a May 2004
State Department press release, Rehberg and Sen. Burns met with Kazakhstan President Nursultan
Nazarbayev about the war in Iraq and about a future economic partnership with Montana. [State
Department press release, 5/27/04]
Rehberg Confirmed He Drank Vodka And Was Trampled By A Horse While In Kazakhstan. In
June 2004, Roll Call reported, responding to allegations in an anonymous email that claimed he and the
congressional delegation embarrassed the embassy and United States with their antics, Rehberg
confirmed he went on the CODEL to Kazakhstan; confirmed he was trampled by a horse, breaking a rib
and bruising several others; and confirmed that he did drink. [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/10/04]
Rehberg Acknowledged His Trip To Kazakhstan Was Wilder Than Most. In June 2004, Roll Call
reported that Rehberg acknowledged his trip May 2004 trip to Kazakhstan was wilder than most
CODELs. [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/23/04]
ANONYMOUS EMAIL CLAIMED REHBERG EMBARRASSED THE U.S. WITH HIS
ANTICS
Anonymous Email Claimed Rehberg Was Drunk The Entire Time In Kazakhstan; Embarrassed
The United States. In June 2004, Roll Call reported that that an anonymous email sent to reporters and
Democratic operatives from someone who implied they were connected to the U.S. Embassy in
Kazakhstan claimed that the visiting congressional delegation, which included Rehberg, “embarrassed
the Embassy and the UNITED STATES with their antics. Every single one of them was drunk the entire
time.” [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/10/04]
Anonymous Email Claimed Rehberg Drank 20 Shots Of Vodka, Fell Off Horse Drunk And Was
Trampled By Another Horse. In June 2004, Roll Call reported that that an anonymous email sent to
reporters and Democratic operatives from someone who implied they were connected to the U.S.
Embassy in Kazakhstan claimed, “Congressman Dennis Rehburg [sic], Rep, Montana, who had drank
[sic], according to witnesses, some 20 shots of vodka, ran into the woods, returned on a horse, fell over
(stumbling drunk) and was trampled by another horse.” [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/10/04]

Rehberg Disputed Allegation He Had 20 Shots Of Vodka; Admitted To Having “Three,
Four, Something Like That.” In June 2004, Roll Call reported, responding to allegations in an
anonymous email that claimed he and the congressional delegation embarrassed the embassy and
United States with their antics, Rehberg disputed the email’s claim that he had 20 shots of vodka.
“If I had 20 shots of anything I’d be dead,” said Rehberg. According to Rehberg, he only had
“three, four, something like that” shots of vodka at a ceremonial dinner. “It wasn’t like it was an
all-day event,” Rehberg said. [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/10/04]

Marine Colonel: Rehberg “Probably Had Half A Dozen” Shots Of Vodka. In July 2004,
Roll Call reported that at a sit-down organized by Montana Republicans to try to set the record
straight on their CODEL to Kazakhstan, Col. Arthur White, the Senate’s Marine Liaison, who
accompanied Rehberg on the CODEL, responding to the allegation that Rehberg had 20 shots of
vodka during a ceremonial lunch, said, “That’s not true.” According to Col. White, “He probably
had half a dozen.” [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 7/14/04]

Rehberg’s Press Secretary Initially Claimed That Rehberg Had Not Drank Any Vodka
Before Falling Off The Horse. In July 2004, Roll Call reported that Rehberg’s press secretary
initially claimed that Rehberg hadn’t drank any vodka before falling off a horse and being
trampled by another while in Kazakhstan. [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 7/14/04]

Rehberg Claimed He Wasn’t Drunk When He Fell Off The Horse. In June 2004, Roll Call
reported, responding to allegations in an anonymous email that claimed he and the congressional
delegation embarrassed the embassy and United States with their antics, Rehberg disputed the
email’s claim that he fell off a horse because he was drunk. According to Roll Call, “he says he
was not drunk when he fell off the horse and was trampled by another. It’s just that as a rancher
from Montana, he’s not used to riding the style they ride in Kazakhstan. The official from
Kazakhstan riding a horse next to him tried to help Rehberg off his horse, but when he did, the
Congressman says, ‘he grabbed the reigns [sic] and I wasn’t comfortable so I fell back and sat
down.’ He insists he wasn’t drunk. ‘And I didn’t fall,’ he corrected. The other horse got startled
and stepped on Rehberg.” [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/10/04]

Kazakh Ambassador Said That Rehberg Accurately Described The Accident In Which He
Was Trampled By A Horse. In July 2004, Roll Call reported that the Kazakh ambassador,
Kanat Saudabayev, released a statement responding to the anonymous email that claimed
Rehberg had embarrassed the United States with his antics. “We repudiate completely
anonymous accounts of Rep. Rehberg’s unfortunate accident. The accident did indeed take place
in the way Rep. Rehberg has described it, and we wish him speedy recovery,” said Saudabayev.
[Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 7/14/04]
Anonymous Email Claimed Rehberg Mocked The Kazakh National Costume At Official Event. In
June 2004, Roll Call reported that that an anonymous email sent to reporters and Democratic operatives
from someone who implied they were connected to the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan claimed that the
visiting congressional delegation, which included Rehberg, embarrassed the Embassy and United States
with their antics. The email stated that Rehberg “made fun of the Kazakh national costume doing a
‘Coneheads’ routine from Saturday Night Live, over and over (including making beeping sounds like an
alien) at an official delegation.” [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/10/04]

Responding To Allegation He Mocked The Kazakh Costume, Rehberg Said They Had To
Wear Something That “Looked Like A Bathrobe, And A Hat I Cannot Describe.” In June
2004, Roll Call reported, responding to allegations in an anonymous email that he compared the
ceremonial Kazakh costume to a “Saturday Night Live” Coneheads sketch, Rehberg said that
they had to wear something that “looked like a bathrobe, and a hat I cannot describe,” but that’s
the nature of CODELs to foreign lands. [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/10/04]

Marine Colonel Said The Allegation That Rehberg Mocked The Kazakh National Costume
“Never Happened.” In July 2004, Roll Call reported that at a sit-down organized by Montana
Republicans to try to set the record straight on their CODEL to Kazakhstan, Col. Arthur White,
the Senate’s Marine Liaison, who accompanied Rehberg on the CODEL, responding to the
allegation that Rehberg made fun of the Kazakh national costume and calling the locals
“Coneheads,” Col. White said, “never happened.” [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 7/14/04]
Anonymous Email Claimed Rehberg Made Fun Of The Kazakh People, Calling The Locals
“Coneheads.” In June 2004, Roll Call reported that that an anonymous email sent to reporters and
Democratic operatives from someone who implied they were connected to the U.S. Embassy in
Kazakhstan claimed that Rehberg made fun of the Kazakh people, calling the locals “Coneheads.”
[Heard on the Hill, Roll Call, 6/23/04]

Rehberg Claimed He Didn’t Call The Locals Coneheads, But Said That They Did Wear
Some Kind Of “Hat I Cannot Describe.” In June 2004, Roll Call reported, responding to
allegations in an anonymous email that he compared the ceremonial Kazakh costume to a
“Saturday Night Live” Coneheads sketch, Rehberg claimed he didn’t call the locals Coneheads,
but said that they did wear some kind of “hat I cannot describe.” [Heard on the Hill, Roll Call,
6/23/04]
REHBERG DISMISSED ANONYMOUS EMAIL AS POLITICAL DIRTY TRICKS
Rehberg Dismissed Anonymous Email As Political Dirty Tricks. In June 2004, the Great Falls
Tribune reported that Rehberg dismissed the anonymous email alleging he had embarrassed the United
States and Embassy while on a trip to Kazakhstan as political dirty tricks. “It’s laughable; the whole
thing is really laughable,” said Rehberg press secretary Brad Keena. “If you go fishing and you can’t
find serious journalists to write about spurious information…then I suppose you go to a gossip column.”
[Great Falls Tribune, 6/11/04]
Rehberg’s Chief Of Staff Said The Anonymous Email Was “Nothing More Than Character
Assassination.” In July 2004, Roll Call reported that, responding to the anonymous email that Rehberg
embarrassed the Embassy and the United States with his antics on a CODEL to Kazakhstan, Erik
Iverson, Rehberg’s chief of staff, said, “It’s nothing more than character assassination.” [Heard on the
Hill, Roll Call, 7/14/04]
Rehberg’s Chief Of Staff Said That They Were Told Anonymous Email “Did Not Originate With
Anybody At The State Department Or The U.S. Embassy In Kazakhstan Who Were Part Of The
Trip.” In July 2004, Roll Call reported that, responding to the anonymous email that Rehberg
embarrassed the Embassy and the United States with his antics on a CODEL to Kazakhstan, Erik
Iverson, Rehberg’s chief of staff, said that they had been told the email “did not originate with anybody
at the State Department or the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan who were part of the trip.” [Heard on the
Hill, Roll Call, 7/14/04]
Montana Republicans Organized Sit-Down With Columnist To Try To Set The Record Straight
On Their CODEL To Kazakhstan. In July 2004, Roll Call reported that Montana Republicans organized a
sit-down with the writer of the column, “Heard on the Hill,” to try to set the record straight on their CODEL to
Kazakhstan in May 2004. The columnist spoke with a group of nine men, including a Marine colonel, Montana
Republican Congressional staffers and two aides from the Kazakh Embassy. Each person in the group took turns
disputing the anonymous email claiming that Rehberg and the rest of the congressional delegation embarrassed
the Embassy and the United States with their antics. [Roll Call, 7/14/04]
2008: CONGRESSMAN SUGGESTED TRIPS WITH REHBERG GET WILD
Rep. Hobson: “I’m Not Going To Tell About The Trips With Mr. Rehberg And Simpson. Those
Are Probably Better Not Told.” On April 10, 2008, speaking at a Appropriations Subcommittee on
Energy and Water Development hearing, Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio) said, “I’m not going to tell about
the trips with Mr. Rehberg and [Rep. Mike] Simpson. Those are probably better not told.”
[Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Hearing, 4/10/08]