Posted on 10/13/2006 7:12:03 AM PDT by Dems_R_Losers
A lucrative land deal benefiting U.S. Senate minority leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) deserves full scrutiny by the Senate ethics committee.
In 1998, Reid purchased undeveloped residential property on the outskirts of Las Vegas for $400,000. He bought one lot outright, and a second lot with a partner, Jay Brown. In 2001, Reid sold the land for the same price to a corporation created by Brown. Reid retained an ownership stake in the corporation and continued to pay taxes on the property. There was no written agreement; Brown told the Associated Press that the two had been friends for 35 years and didn't need one.
So the Senate Democratic leader engaged in a seven-figure handshake and didn't feel the need to disclose all the details. Experts on Senate ethics rules say Reid should have disclosed the sale in 2001 on his annual ethics report, and informed Congress of his part-ownership in Brown's corporation. Reid didn't.
After the land was rezoned for a shopping center, the corporation sold it in 2004. Reid received $1.1 million in the sale, turning a neat profit of nearly $700,000 in six years.
While now insisting he did nothing wrong, Reid is also offering to make a "technical change" to his earlier ethics reports if the ethics committee so desires. Simply giving the Democratic leader a mulligan is hardly the way to handle this case. When the Senate debated ethics reforms earlier this year, Reid was out in front to demand the toughest of standards from lawmakers.
"Americans have been shocked and even disgusted by revelations of corruption in our current system by Republican lobbyists, senior Bush Administration officials, members of Congress, and former congressional staff," Reid said in March. "The scandals have shown that some outsiders and insiders believed they could act with impunity."
That's how this case looks, too. Unless Reid comes up with a better explanation for this lack of disclosure, Democrats should not keep him as their leader in the new Congress in 2007.
All real estate transactions have to be in writing. If it was not in writing, then when Brown gave the money to Reid after the sale, it would have to be considered A GIFT!
That is a million dollar gift that Reid did not report. This makes Duke Cunningham look like a dime store shoplifter.
Now calls for Reid's stepping down? Well shut my mouth!
Who you ask? Why, Hillary would claim that as she stuffed the big bucks into her carpetbag.
I faxed Hastert, Boehner, Lugar & Sodrel yestereday and demanded that they not let this guy get a pass on this. That they had no body to blame but themselves for the position that the Republican party was in for this years election. The Dems would not let a Republican get by with a parking ticket, let a lone anything even close to this.
I can help but think "Cankles" is behind this.
You might be right. I heard someone say that this revelation about Dingy Harry didn't come from the Republicans but from someone within the RAT party who wants his job. The Heinous Harridan positioning herself for 2008??? He likened it to a "push from the back of the bus".
The MSM has a way of not seeing things when it's bad for a dem -- you know, teacher's pet and all...
He'll step down after the election.
I think that is a video of bubba chasing bimbos.......lol
Sounds like good 'ole Harry opened his silly mouth one time too many. Caused everybody to check out his crooked little land deal. A crooked man is destined to make crooked deals...
Jay Brown is pretty dirty, even by Vegas standards. Birds of a feather, and all that ... this Reid crook doesn't deserve a do-over.
Sure, they see it as a net-positive for Hillary and the far FAR left of the party if Reid gets replaced...
Jay Brown sounds worse than ABRAMOFF, and Reid took ABRAMOFF money also!!
At least that's how the Dems do it - Foley does something stupid, so he and one random prominent Republican leader must resign. Therefore, I call for the resignation of Reid and Clinton.
Now, let's see if the MSM picks up on this. I can see the AP articles now, "Amid calls for her resignation in the wake of the Reid scandal, Hillary Clinton continued campaigning today in..."
When did Karl Rove acquire the nickname 'Cankles'? ;^)
Check this out!
She's the Junior Senator from New York and only going into her second term. Too many people would be pissed if she cuts ahead in line.
Jay Brown, Abrahmoff, mob lawyers ... my, my, my. Reid has reason to look like a glum undertaker, with that many hooks in him.
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