CHICAGO - Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin now is among several members of Illinois' congressional delegation who said they would return campaign contributions tied to Jack Abramoff, joining a growing list of lawmakers dumping their political donations from the fallen lobbyist.

Durbin also called on Thursday for a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of corruption involving Abramoff and members of Congress.

Durbin and Rep. Lane Evans, both Democrats, and Rep. Donald Manzullo, a Republican, said Wednesday they previously received contributions from American Indian groups associated with Abramoff and planned to donate the money to charity.

Abramoff, 46, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Miami to conspiracy and wire fraud charges in relation to the 2000 purchase of a gambling boat fleet. It came a day after he pleaded guilty to fraud, corruption and tax evasion in Washington, D.C., as part of an agreement with prosecutors requiring him to cooperate in a broad corruption investigation into members of Congress.

Durbin, who was in Normal on Thursday, said the Abramoff situation will change how lobbyists and Congress interact.

"This is going to be a major league disaster for other lawmakers," Durbin said.

The fallout from Abramoff's guilty plea likely will be a catalyst for major changes in campaign finance, Durbin said.

Durbin also said lawmakers' interaction with Abramoff should be opened to a greater investigation led by a special prosecutor instead of the Justice Department.

"All the more reason for a special prosecutor," Durbin said, adding that he had confidence in U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who now is investigating the leaking of CIA officer Valerie Plame's name.

Rep. Jerry Weller, a Republican from Morris, said he plans to give away $500 that Abramoff directly contributed six years ago.

Each man stressed that he has never met Abramoff and condemned his lobbying practices.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican from Plano, said he would donate campaign contributions from Abramoff. He collected more than $100,000 from Abramoff's firm and tribal clients between 2001 and 2004.

Durbin was quick to qualify on Thursday that he had never met with Abramoff. However, Durbin said his staff has found at least $11,000 in donations from American Indian tribes affiliated with Abramoff, which he planned to donate to two Chicago-area groups that serve American Indians.

Durbin stressed that none of the contributions was illegal, but he decided to give them away "because Mr. Abramoff's web of influence was so widespread and so corrosive."

Evans plans to give to charity $2,000 he received from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. His office believes the tribe was represented by Abramoff, Evans spokesman Steve Vetzner said.

Rep. Donald Manzullo, an Egan Republican, said through a spokesman Wednesday that he planned to return a $1,500 contribution that may have been tied to Abramoff through the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Manzullo spokesman Rich Carter said $1,500 was received from the Agua in 2002, but the congressman and his aides have no recollection of who specifically provided the check.

The money is being returned to the tribe "because it could have potentially" been tied to Abramoff, he said, even though it was not solicited.

The Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday reported that Manzullo received $5,000 in contributions from Abramoff clients from 1999 through 2005. Later Wednesday, though, it revised the amount to $3,000.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Weller received a total of $15,500 from Abramoff or his tribal clients from 1999 through 2005.

Weller's office is reviewing contribution records for donations from Indian tribes that were represented by Abramoff and soon would decide what to do with those, spokesman Chris Kennedy said in a statement.

Pantagraph reporter M.K. Guetersloh contributed to this report.