LAT: Reid Pushed for Buddy Developer, Contributor

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Democrats have tried to make a campaign theme out of the “culture of corruption” in GOP-run Washington. But stories like this don’t help their cause one bit.

From his perch as the top Dem in the Senate, Harry Reid (D-NV) — that’s would-be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to you, ma’am — has been trying to do big favors for a close real estate developer/lobbyist friend, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. Unfortunately for his pal, Reid’s efforts were only middlingly effective.

How close is Reid to Harvey Whittemore? Reid’s son, Leif, is Whittemore’s personal lawyer. At one point or another, all four of Reid’s sons have worked for Whittemore’s law firm. Whittemore says the relationship goes back “decades.” (Reid wouldn’t comment to the Times for the article.) And Whittemore’s given $45,000 to Reid’s various organizations, plus $20,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Eight years ago, Whittemore sank at least $15 million for land and rights in a 67-square-mile tract of empty Nevada desert, the paper reported. There, he hoped to build a massive development of 159,000 homes, 16 golf courses, and requisite stores and services.

Only three things stood in his way: Government plans for a high-voltage power line, the Environmental Protection Agency, and a tortoise. According to the paper, Reid led efforts to help Whittemore around at least two of the three.

Reid and his Nevada colleagues tried three times to get the power line idea moved off the tract. The first time he tried to get it done for free, although it was worth millions to Whittemore; when that got shot down, he and other Nevada lawmakers tried to get it done for a $160,000 fee. But when that faced criticism, they consented to having it done at a price set by government appraisers. (It wound up costing Whittemore $10.4 million, the Times said.)

Then there’s the EPA: in 2005, the agency objected to Whittemore’s plans because they would upset important water resources. According to the Times, Whittemore called Reid’s top aide, Peter Umhofer, and asked him to set up a meeting between Whittemore and federal officials. Umhofer called both the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Reid and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) called EPA Adminstrator Stephen L. Johnson to complain. Reid staffers called EPA regional officials. A meeting was set up between Reid and Ensign and Johnson. Clearly, the Nevada delegation was showing some interest.

But before the three men met, Whittemore agreed to several concessions with regional EPA officials and the agency withdrew its concerns.

And finally, there’s the tortoise: in the middle of Whittemore’s tract, several thousand acres had been set aside as a protected habitat for the desert tortoise, the Nevada state reptile. Whittemore himself pushed to move the turtles to land on the edge of the tract. The paper gives no evidence that Reid helped with this, but in 2004 the Bureau of Land Management agreed to move the turtle habitat in an exchange some experts said was illegal.

Reid wouldn’t speak with the Times, although according to the paper he has said he supports Whittemore’s efforts on economic grounds.

Latest Muckraker
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: