Harry Reid
Posted on 10/02/2005 9:07:08 AM PDT by Kaslin
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid accepted donations from key Clinton Chinagate fundraiser John Huang - and later pushed for Senate confirmation of the judge who let Huang off with a slap on the wrist.
News of Reid's Chinagate donations resurfaced this week in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which detailed the top Democrat's relationship with a Nevada church whose pastor has been indicted for misusing federal grants obtained by the powerful Senate Democrat.
A federal grant of $423,000 was arranged by Reid for the Alliance Collegiums Association of Nevada, which was run by the Rev. Willie Davis, the longtime pastor of Second Baptist Church.
Reid - a Mormon - has attended Davis's church infrequently in recent years.
Prosecutors charge that Rev. Davis spent most of the money - $330,000 - on personal expenses.
But in addition to obtaining the grant for Rev. Davis' organization, Reid gave his church "$100 in December 1999, $500 in November 2002, $200 in September 2002 and $500 in February of this year from his campaign and political funds," the Nevada paper said.
At least some of that money came from Chinagate's Huang. Sen. Reid donated $250 he received from Huang to Rev. Davis's church in 1997, and another $250 of Huang's money to the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Las Vegas.
But Reid's relationship with the controversial Chinagate figure doesn't end there.
In June 1999, Huang's case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard Paez, who had six months earlier been nominated to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals by President Clinton.
Critics says the assignment presented a massive conflict of interest for Judge Paez, a concern fueled by the sentence he meted out to the Clinton donor in Aug. 1999.
Sen. Reid's former donor received a mere $10,000 fine, 500 hours of community service and one year probation.
When Paez's 9th Circuit nomination came up for Senate confirmation, Republicans cried foul.
Sen. Jeff Sessions complained that Paez had violated Justice Department sentencing guidelines that required Huang to serve jail time, calling the plea bargain "a dangerous agreement" and "a debasement of justice."
But Sen. Reid went to bat for Huang's judge, after being asked to reach out to other Mormon Senators by Mrs. Paez, a fellow Mormon.
"That's what I did," Reid told the New York Times.
The argument appears to have worked with Sen. Orrin Hatch, who told Utah's Deseret News, "I cannot accept, in the absence of any supporting evidence, that two branches of the government engaged in a conspiracy" to give Huang a light sentence.
The News reported that Paez won confirmation "thanks largely to a late conversion to his cause by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch. Ironically, Hatch, R-Utah, helped block votes on Paez last year."
The main problem is that crooks don't like to rat-out other crooks.
The solution is to minimize government, and thereby minimize the impact of political corruption.
Every time new legislation is passed, someone's rights are taken away!
Gee, sounds like that crooked little RAT should give up his leadership post until this is resolved!
Always remember democrats can do anything, SAY anything and get away with it. 90%+ of the media are in their camp. Their goal to bind and gag us with political correctness, accusations and distortions such as the Bill Bennett and Tom DeLay fiascos. They know most people only hear and remember a "sound bite". J Goebbels, Nazi Propaganda minister said; the most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly...it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.
It's war with the left. Let's hope the GOP joins the fight.
So why is it that the pubbies never fight back at the other faction of this "Two-Party Cartel"? Because the elites that own the CONgress want a liberal agenda in order to fill their needs. Do the pubbie senators dislike Shumer Clinton Kennedy? If so why do some such as Hatch & ex senator Thompson say that behind the cameras these dems are just like them - family men blah blah blah. IMO they all should get booted after 2 terms or 70 yrs of age & we citizems should be voting outside of this cartel for a much better representation.
Bump.
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(Please FReepmail if you want on, or off, this list. I certainly have no desire to increase anyone’s stress-level. Thanks!!!)
Actually, I think it's more like... "...because he is "religious," A DEMOCRAT, he's above reproach.
So the old 'double standard' irritates you TOO, does it? ...Will you join me in my quest to find a 'pubbie...ANY 'pubbie...who is willing to play HARDBALL with the Dems...?
...The journey will be difficult...
Oh, and P.S RE: Pelosi ...In case you missed it...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1494883/posts
Thanks....I guess. I HAD missed it. Now I am REALLY depressed.
Dirty Harry. Tsk, tsk. Thanks for the ping.
Thanks for the ping!
I am deeply saddened. He should step down.
I wonder if the Republicans will hold Reid to the same standard as the Dems held Delay................
Actually, since DeLay didn't do anything wrong, and Reid is a traitor, no. DeLay should continue in the Senate Maj Leader post, and Reid should be hanged.
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