Dem leader faces increasing scrutiny in lobbyist scandal "Hypocrisy comes at a high price..."

Houston Chronicle ^ | February 11, 2006 | MICHAEL HEDGES

[Cincinatus' Wife]

WASHINGTON - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who has helped lead the effort to paint Rep. Tom DeLay and the Republican Party as corrupt, faced increased criticism Friday about his extensive contacts with the lobbyist who set off the unfolding congressional ethics scandal.

Reid, D-Nev., who last month compared DeLay to a gangster for his connections with high-profile lobbyist Jack Abramoff, received $68,000 for his campaigns and political committees from Abramoff clients and associates.

Around the time of the contributions, Reid wrote letters to the U.S. Interior Department urging action that would benefit an Indian tribe client of Abramoff's. In addition, Reid's staff had extensive contacts with lobbyists working for Abramoff, according to documents and e-mails disclosed by the Associated Press.

The fresh revelations about Reid could undermine the Democrats' efforts to make what they call the GOP's "culture of corruption" a major issue in this year's congressional elections.

"The fact that he is a leader in the Senate and is going to have to be the spokesman for these things, it does make it a little harder and he may have to back off," said John Fortier, a political scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

Reid stuck to his stance Friday that he has no need to return or donate to charity the $68,000 in legal contributions from Abramoff's Indian gaming clients and lobbying associates of Abramoff.

"That would suggest the tribes themselves have done something wrong," said Jim Manley, a Reid spokesman.

Reid has a long and proud history as a member of the Indian affairs committee, Manley said.

Like DeLay, Reid has denied using his office to benefit Abramoff clients.

DeLay donated to charity $15,000 received directly from Abramoff and his wife, but has not returned money received from Indian clients associated with Abramoff.

On Jan. 13, Reid wrote in an opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle, "Our nation's capital has been overrun by organized crime — Tom DeLay style. The gangsters are the lobbyists, cronies and lawmakers who have banded together and abused their power to serve their own interests."

Michael Connelly, a spokesman for DeLay, said the Texas Republican now feels sorry for Reid: "Hypocrisy comes at a high price, and it looks like the senator's bill has come due."

Republican political groups were swift to label Reid a hypocrite.

"It's time for Senator Reid to stop the charade, cut a $68,000 check, and pronounce his ethics crusade dead in the water," said Brian Nick, spokesman for the National Republican Senate Committee.

Abramoff and associate Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay aide, have pleaded guilty to defrauding the tribes of roughly $66 million and are cooperating in a federal investigation of corruption in Congress.

At least 32 times before 2005, an Abramoff Indian gaming client or associate donated to Reid's campaign or political funds.

In March 2002, Reid urged Interior Secretary. Gale Norton to reject efforts by the Jena band of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana to get a casino license. He wrote a related letter to Norton in April 2003 as Abramoff lobbied for a rival tribe, the Louisiana Coushattas.

An Abramoff lobbying team that worked with Democrats met with top Reid staff members more than 20 times in 2001 on issues critical to Abramoff clients, according to invoices of Abramoff's lobbying firm obtained from government officials. Shortly before and after at least one meeting, Abramoff's law firm and an Abramoff deputy sent checks to Reid's re-election committee.

michael.hedges@chron.com

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Michael Connelly, a spokesman for DeLay, said the Texas Republican now feels sorry for Reid: "Hypocrisy comes at a high price, and it looks like the senator's bill has come due."

Clutching his hands to his heart Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., calls for lawmakers, especially Republicans, to clean up the tainted relationship between lawmakers and lobbyists in the wake of the scandal involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff at the Library of Congress in Washington Jan. 18, 2006. From left to right are: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., Reid, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.., and Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-SC. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

[advance_copy]

Harry Reid has now established his political legacy as a hypocrite and a crook. He is toast.

[Wristpin]

Harry Reid...for sale to the highest bidder. Resign Harry!

[AmericaUnited]

What a smarmy little weasel. The rats do seem to like these types (Daschle and now Reid...)

[Beth528]

[John Jorsett]

I like that picture with his hands crossed over his heart. Harry the pious.

[soloNYer]

I love this story. My dad had attacked me on the Abramoff scandal, stressing that the Dems had no part of it and that Republicans were going down.

I haven't heard from him about it in a while....

[wrathof59]

you should give your Dad a call and remind him where you left off last

[freeangel]

harry's a fraud and a liar.---too bad most dems wouldn't know one if it bit them on their collective arse.

[bennowens]

When you lie down with pigs, you are going to smell when you get up.

[sirchtruth]

Look, Reid and the Dems may be pathetically stupid losers, but they are not dumb.

Reid knows he won't go down as well as any Republican because of Abramhoff. The MSM/dems are just playing this card to try ANYTHING to embarrass Republicans because of two reasons. The MSM/dems have absolute nothing, only HATE, and they know Republicans at least have some shame and will quit if found out to be illegally involved, where most dems lack ANY virtue or standards, and will stand eyeball deep in hypocrisy without even the slightest flinch, almost wearing it as their badge of honor!

Oh yeah, true prix...

[paulcissa]

Wow, what a surprise. C'mon, did anyone think Harry wasn't as dirty as he claimed DeLay was?

Democratic hypocrisy knows no bounds.

[LibLieSlayer]

No, reid left a trail of checks for votes that cannot be denied. He is up to his neck in bribes, and he will pay the price for it. You can try to spin this as nothing, but infact, when you can point to a vote, and then a deposit within the same day... you are guilty!

LLS

[grey_whiskers]

In the picture, just to the left of and behind Reid (how appropriate), you can see what appears to Henry Waxman. I had no idea he was so short!

Oh, my bad. Reid is on a podium, apparently :-)

[LibLieSlayer]

Brit Hume, Foxnews. AllStar segment, and several posts linked to articles here on FR.

LLS

[Zeppo]

but I read elsewhere that these tribes were his constituents

Actually, while that seems to be the "defense" offered by Reid and his spokespersons, I have read elsewhere that that was not the case, and that he took money from tribes outside of Nevada who were Abramoff's clients (in return for what, one wonders). I don't have a comprehensive source directly at hand, but I recall that there were headlines about it within the past month (there are so many articles concerning Abramoff and Reid that it is difficult to sort through them all).

For example, see this paragraph from a Gannett news article from early January 2006:

Among the donations to Reid was a $5,000 contribution from the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, an Abramoff client that was trying to block the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians from opening a nearby casino. The donation was made to Reid's political action committee, the Searchlight Leadership Fund and was one of 61 checks the tribe wrote to lawmakers and their political action committees that totaled $333,000 on one day, according to PoliticalMoneyLine.com, a campaign finance watchdog group.

Louisiana tribes do not sound like Reid's constituents...

[gaspar]

If you knew anything about Reid and his family operations in Nevada you would have to believe that all Democrats must be corrupt to allow him to move as high as he has.

[GOPJ]

What a jerk.