A Western Journalism Exclusive By Steve Baldwin
PARTIAL LISTING OF CORRUPTION !CLICK ON LINK FOR ADDITIONAL INFO
Senator
Harry Reid claims to be an ethical politician and he often employs his Mormon religion in order to demonstrate his alleged immaculacy. However, the reality is that he is, in fact, one of the most ethically challenged politicians in office today. This report will review his alliances with corrupt individuals, his support of ACORN, his ties with organized crime figures and his chronic failure to comply with campaign finance laws.
Harry Reid’s Alliance with Jack Abramoff
Soon after the Jack Abramoff scandal broke, Reid took the lead in attacking Republicans for fostering a “culture of corruption.” (1)
But shortly after making these comments, it was reported that
Reid took almost $68,000 from Abramoff’s firm, its PAC and its Indian casino clients.
(2)
Reid then tried to distance himself from Abramoff, stating, “[D]on’t lump me in with Jack Abramoff. This is a Republican scandal. Don’t try to give any of it to me.” (3)
Here’s the key passage:
Harry Reid wrote at least four letters helpful in Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, and Reid’s staff had frequent contact with the disgraced lobbyist’s team about legislation….Reid collected nearly $68,000 in political donations from Abramoff’s firm, lobbying partners and clients…Abramoff’s firm also hired one of Reid’s top legislative aides as a lobbyist. (4)
The bulk of the donation money came from Indian tribes who were Abramoff’s clients, most of whom owned casinos in the region.
Reid’s letters were meant to influence the Interior Department to reject applications that would allow certain Indian tribes to open up new casinos.
Reid was not acting in opposition to gambling, but was rather protecting the existing Indian casinos (Abramoff’s Clients) from having new competition in their regions. (5)
Reid Protects ACORN from Investigation
There is little doubt that ACORN is used by the Democrat party to fabricate voters and register illegal aliens in order to benefit their politicians. What’s more, there is little doubt that ACORN efforts benefited Reid’s campaigns.
The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the Las Vegas office of ACORN has been engaged in massive fraud. At least 48% of the registrations turned in by ACORN are fraudulent.
Indeed, it was so obvious that the ACORN Las Vegas office was raided by authorities. They found that 59 inmates from a work-release program at a nearby prison were employed by ACORN and found numerous irregularities. Its field director, Christopher Edwards, pled guilty to two gross misdemeanor counts of conspiracy.
Despite these findings, when the US Senate voted 83-7 to block ACORN from bidding for additional federal grant money,
Reidrefused to hold a hearing on ACORN’s activities. Even after the scandal broke revealing that ACORN was assisting an underage prostitution operation,
Reid claimed such an investigation of ACORN by Congress might distract attention from more important issues. (6)
Another publication reported that
Reid wrote Senator Vitter to inform him that his call for an ACORN investigation was driven by his political bias!
In his letter to Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), the majority leader said he would rather not “ask our committees or this Congress to do anything that would detract from efforts” to address bigger priorities, including healthcare reform and economic recovery. He also expressed his concern that Vitter’s “interest in this matter is driven, at least in part, bypartisan political views.” (7)
Perhaps
Reid’s attitude here is due to the fact that the group which seems to be running ACORN, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), contributed nearly $50,000 to Reid’s campaign committee and leadership PAC.
(8)
Reid’s Relationship with George Soros
George Soros is a foreign-born billionaire who is the single largest funder of many Anti-American groups: Move-On.org, Democracy Alliance, Media Matters, Health Care for America Now, Center for American Progress, and Campaign for America’s Future, just to name a few. Soros wants to destroy the principles America was founded upon and turn it into a “socialist paradise.”
Soros is a convicted inside trader who supports open borders, gay rights, abortion rights, increased union power and is hostile to the free enterprise system, even though he made billions off of it. He made his money in a very unethical and, many believe, illegal way – international currency speculation and manipulation. Some believe his fortune was made from drug smuggling since his empire is based offshore in the Netherlands Antilles; the CIA describes this location as “a transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money–laundering center.”
(9)
But Soros’s shady background did not dissuade Reid from taking money from him. Since becoming the Senate Minority leader in 2005 and then the Majority leader in 2007,
Reid has had operational control of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. While fundraising for the DSCC, Reid took over $220,000 from Soros, the Soros Fund Management, and various Soros family members.
(10)
Reid Violated Federal Election Law by Using Campaign Funds for Christmas Bonuses
In 2006, it was reported that
Reid paid Christmas bonuses to staff at the luxurious Ritz Carlton where he lived, using campaign funds. Federal Election law prohibits candidates from using campaign funds for such activity. (11)
Reid Uses his Office to Financially Benefit his Sons
Harry Reid has four sons who all work for Nevada’s largest law firm, Lionel, Sawyer & Collins. All of them have benefited from Reid.
Here’s how the Los Angeles Times puts it:
But Harry Reid is in a class by himself. One of his sons and his son-in-law lobby in Washington for companies, trade groups and municipalities seeking Reid’s help in the Senate. A second son has lobbied in Nevada for some of those same interests, and a third has represented a couple of them as a litigator.
In the last four years alone, their firms have collected more than $2 million in lobbying fees from special interests that were represented by the kids and helped by the senator in Washington.
Apparently such activities are not illegal. They should be. They are certainly unethical. The article details half a dozen examples of specific legislation pushed by Reid which benefited his sons.
(12)
