Free Republic

WASHINGTON - Reversing course, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's office acknowledged Wednesday night he misstated the ethics rules governing his acceptance of free boxing tickets and has decided to avoid taking such gifts in the future. The Nevada senator still believes it was "entirely permissible" for him to accept ringside seats for three professional boxing matches in 2004 and 2005 from the Nevada Athletic Commission but has nonetheless decided to avoid doing so in the future, his office said. "In light of questions that have been raised about the practice, Senator Reid will not accept these kinds of credentials in...

I am guessing that, by now, every Freeper has heard about Democrat Senator Harry Reid's decision to take free gifts in the form of high priced boxing tickets while considering boxing legislation. BUT, the real story is further down in the articles that have been reporting it. After looking at the article on Fox News.com, it was easy to see that Harry Reid is more connected to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff than anyone else on Capitol Hill. SENATOR REID'S FREIND, a former staffer and ABRAMOFF PARTNER/EMPLOYEE LOBBYIST, Edward Ayoop, hosted multiple fundraisers for Harry Reid. Including one at the Abramoff's...

Senate leader took free boxing tickets By JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid accepted free ringside tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission to three professional boxing matches while that state agency was trying to influence him on federal regulation of boxing. Reid, D-Nev., took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 as he was pressing legislation to increase government oversight of the sport, including the creation of a federal boxing commission that Nevada's agency feared might usurp its authority. He defended the gifts, saying they would never influence his...

Sen. Debbie Stabenow's campaign has corrected her campaign finance reports to show that some donations from 2002 and 2003 came from an Indian tribe then represented by now-disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, not an individual as she reported at the time. Stabenow's campaign originally reported that $4,000 in donations came from Christopher Petras, who was the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's legislative director at the time. The donations came during a period in which Stabenow and other Michigan lawmakers sought funding for the tribe and wrote letters to federal regulators on the tribe's behalf. The campaign wrote the Federal Election Commission on...

Democrats Top GOP in Lobbyist Cash Democrats have taken nearly 10 percent more in campaign contributions from lobbyists than Republicans since 1990, an analysis by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics revealed this week. The study deflates Democratic claims that Republicans have created a "culture of corruption” in Congress. It found that Democrats accepted approximately $53 million from lobbyists. In contrast, Republicans accepted $48 million. In 2005, however, Republicans took in more donations – roughly 55 percent of lobbyist money. That total generally corresponds to the Republican share of Congress. And it stands in stark contrast to the donations Democrats...

There is a growing sense of restlessness on Capitol Hill and it is not the majority that has this sense. With Democrats potentially on the cusp of making a significant dent in the Republican majority, tensions that have been well below the surface are starting to spill out and may soon boil over into a Democrat civil war. Various people on Capitol Hill tell me that the Democrats are struggling to keep their internal disputes from boiling over. They all lay the blame at Howard Dean and the Democrat leadership on Capitol Hill failing to get along. Right now, individuals...

28 Of 31 Senate Dems Who Signed AG "Conflict Of Interest" Letter Received Jack Abramoff Affiliated $$$ "Considering 28 of the 31 Democrats have received Abramoff affiliated funds themselves, it appears their hypocrisy has exceeded even their partisanship. What Harry Reid and the Abramoff Democrats lack in judgment, they make up for in sheer audacity." -Tracey Schmitt, RNC Press Secretary Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), And 31 Senate Democrats, Have Accused Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Of "Appearance Of Conflict" In Abramoff Case: "Thirty-One Senate Democrats On Thursday Asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales To Remove Himself From The Investigation Into The Jack...

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) wrote at least four letters helpful to Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, and the senator's staff regularly had contact with the disgraced lobbyist's partners about legislation affecting other clients. The activities — detailed in billing records and correspondence obtained by Associated Press — are more extensive than previously disclosed. They occurred over three years as Reid collected about $68,000 in donations from Abramoff's firm, lobbying partners and clients. Reid's office acknowledged last week having "routine contacts" with Abramoff's lobbying partners and intervening on some government matters, such as blocking some tribal...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- One of Jack Abramoff's ex-colleagues confirms he contacted Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's office on behalf of the influential lobbyist but says he does not believe Abramoff's billing records accurately reflect the extent of his work. Ronald Platt, a lobbyist who worked with Abramoff at the Greenberg Traurig firm between 2001 and 2004, said he contacted Reid's office in 2001, as the billing records show, about the timing of minimum wage legislation affecting one of Abramoff's clients, the Northern Mariana Islands. "When Abramoff first arrived at Greenberg Traurig, I did a new colleague a favor by simply...

WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid portrays convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's activities as involving only Republicans. But Abramoff's billing records and congressional correspondence tell a different story. They show Abramoff's lobbying team billed for nearly two dozen contacts with Reid's office in a single year to mostly discuss Democratic legislation that would have set the minimum hourly wage for the Northern Mariana Islands, an Abramoff client, initially almost $3 lower than other U.S. states and territories. Reid, D-Nev., also wrote at least four letters to the Bush administration helpful to Indian tribes Abramoff represented, often collecting donations from Abramoff-related...

The records reveal that Abramoff's lobbying team billed for nearly two dozen contacts with Reid's office in a period of one year. The discussions regarded Democratic legislation to set the minimum wage for the Northern Mariana Islands, an Abramoff client, initially almost $3 lower than other US states and territories.

One of Jack Abramoff's ex-colleagues confirms he contacted Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's office on behalf of the influential lobbyist but says he does not believe Abramoff's billing records accurately reflect the extent of his work. Ronald Platt, a lobbyist who worked with Abramoff at the Greenberg Traurig firm between 2001 and 2004, said he contacted Reid's office in 2001, as the billing records show, about the timing of minimum wage legislation affecting one of Abramoff's clients, the Northern Mariana Islands. "When Abramoff first arrived at Greenberg Traurig, I did a new colleague a favor by simply asking Reid staffers...

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...

Sen. Reid's Staff Routinely Met With Abramoff Team Feb 9, 2006, 05:13 PM Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid wrote at least four letters helpful to Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, and the senator's staff regularly had contact with the disgraced lobbyist's team about legislation affecting other clients. The activities -- detailed in billing records and correspondence obtained by The Associated Press -- are far more extensive than previously disclosed. They occurred over three years as Reid collected nearly $68,000 in donations from Abramoff's firm, lobbying partners and clients. Reid's office acknowledged Thursday having "routine contacts" with Abramoff's lobbying partners...

o, I'd guess that if I were to recieve a nickel for every Democrat that will call for Harry Reid to "step down" over his "immoral" connections to Jack Abramoff I would have... well, nothing most likely. Here we will be awash in the hypocrisy of the Democrats. They won't call for Reid's head on a platter over these donations like they would if it were a Republican who had gotten such huge amounts of cash "tainted" with Jack Abramoff's fingerprints donated to his campaigns. But, and here is the rub, I don't believe that anyone should call for Reid's...

WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid wrote at least four letters helpful to Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, and the senator's staff regularly had contact with the disgraced lobbyist's team about legislation affecting other clients. ADVERTISEMENT The activities — detailed in billing records and correspondence obtained by The Associated Press — are far more extensive than previously disclosed. They occurred over three years as Reid collected nearly $68,000 in donations from Abramoff's firm, lobbying partners and clients. Reid's office acknowledged Thursday having "routine contacts" with Abramoff's lobbying partners and intervening on some government matters — such as blocking...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada began receiving campaign contributions from at least four American Indian tribes only after they hired Jack Abramoff, Republicans charged this week in an effort to tie the Senate Democratic leader to the disgraced lobbyist. On Thursday, Reid shrugged off questions about money he received from tribal clients of Abramoff, who pleaded guilty last month to three felonies after being accused of exchanging meals, travel and gifts for political favors. "I've said that I received money from Indians in the past and will continue to do so," Reid said. Asked what he would say...

Democrats Do Have A "Big" Abramoff Problem "Chairman Dean set a new standard for Abramoff Democrats today and it's clear that Sen. Reid did not make the cut. Dean specifically stated it was 'a big problem' if any Democrats wrote letters on behalf of Abramoff Indian tribes, which is exactly what Harry Reid and other Democrats did. Howard Dean has displayed a stunning level of hypocrisy on this issue, however it now appears that he may be interested in holding his fellow Democrats accountable." - RNC Communications Director Brian Jones DNC Chair Dean: If Any Dems Wrote Letters On Behalf...

It was no way to treat a lady. On Jan. 15, Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell wrote a column praising her paper for exposing crooked lobbyist Jack Abramoff. By Jan. 19, a section of the Post's Web site for reader comments was deluged with so much obscene e-mail from outraged liberals that the Post had to shut it down. Mr. Abramoff pled guilty earlier this month to defrauding his clients (Indian tribes who owned casinos) and the Internal Revenue Service. Ms. Howell's critics were in high dudgeon over a distinction without a difference. In the seventh paragraph of her column...

Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) failed today to address rumors that Nevada Senator Harry Reid will step down next month as Senate Minority Leader. Reid has been stung by revelations that his political action committee (PAC) accepted more than $60,000 in contributions from Indian tribes linked to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Appearing on CNN's Late Edition, Biden avoided discussing either the Reid situation or any upcoming changes in Senate Democratic leadership. Reid is no stranger to scandal, having been the subject of a 1979 Justice Department probe into allegations that Reid — then Nevada Gaming Commission chairman — had received bribes...