Crooked Contractor Paid $2,800 for Dinner with Katherine Harris
Former MZM, Inc. briber-in-chief Mitchell Wade paide a $2,800 tab for dinner with Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL). It appears they ran up the tab by downing a couple bottles of $1,000 wines.
Harris’ campaign had earlier stated she had paid for the meal. Here’s how she and her campaign handled today’s revelation:
Harris acknowledged for the first time that Wade had paid for the dinner at Citronelle, reversing a statement from her congressional spokeswoman earlier this year.
But in the interview, Harris also said her campaign had, at some point, “reimbursed” the restaurant.
When asked how she could have reimbursed a business that was owed no money — Wade paid the bill that evening — she abruptly ended the interview and walked off.
Her spokesman called back an hour later and asked a reporter not to publish anything Harris had said Wednesday night about the dinner.
It seems her former strategist, longtime GOP operative Ed Rollins, went on the record to dish this morsel to a reporter. How on the outs with the GOP establishment do you have to be in order for your former employees to hit you on the record? (Orlando Sentinel)
Grover Carrying Anti-Tax to the Extreme?
It looks like Mr. Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform might not have paid his property taxes this year. The deadline’s passed and the government hasn’t acknowledged receipt of payment yet, but you never know, the check may be in the mail. Or maybe he’s just making the government sweat. (CCC)
A Tangled Web in Montana
Former Montana State Auditor and Democratic Senate hopeful John Morrison was reported last month to have had an affair. But that’s not really what the scandal should be, reports the Missoula Independent. Because he had the affair, Morrison had to recuse himself from an investigation into his mistress’ husband’s business by his office. Except the Independent reports that he didn’t totally remove himself from the case as he should have done, and now suspicions are rife concerning the lax settlement the husband won from the investigation. In other words, he’s being accused of crippling the investigation out of fear of blackmail. (MI)
Cunningham Briber Owes Back Taxes
Brent Wilkes, owner of the mysterious San Diego contractor ADCS Inc. who did murky jobs for the CIA and others, owes over $300,000 in property taxes. Apparently, he hasn’t paid them since December 2004. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
California Republicans Defend Doolittle
State GOP operatives are standing up to be counted alongside Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), who is defending his reputation against multiple charges of graft, bribery and assorted shady dealings involving his campaign funds. “As long as it’s legal,” it’s ethical, one GOP fundraiser told a reporter. “Campaign funds are their own money to do whatever they want with, if they’ve earned it working on a campaign as a consultant or manager or that sort,” a county GOP chair said. (The Union)
In Ohio, Dems Question Each Other’s Ethics
Democrats running for the same Ohio congressional seat are lobbing charges at each other over various ethical and legal issues. Our favorite:
Three Democratic candidates have raised doubts about rival and shopping mall heiress Capri Cafaro, whose father was sentenced to probation in 2002 for bribing former Rep. James Traficant, who was convicted of taking gifts and kicked out of Congress.
Cafaro invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself during a grand jury appearance, but her lawyer, David Betras, said that was just part of the normal process for receiving immunity.
Cafaro acknowledged in her testimony making political donations using her father’s money and receiving reimbursement from him after making donations. Campaign finance law prohibits skirting individual contribution limits by making donations through others, but Betras said the money from Cafaro’s father was simply her college allowance.
(AP)
More Katrina Waste
The Government Accountability Office says that the Army Corps of Engineers overpaid on a contract for classrooms in Mississippi by $7.8 million for no good reason. And it seems they had no good excuse – they knew they were overpaying. (AP)
Covered Yesterday
Ney Doing “Everything Possible” to Clear His Name…(link)
Ney’s Blown $100 Grand This Year on Lawyers…(link)
Taylor Never Reported Restaurant Use for Fundraiser…(link)
DHS Hiding Security Flaws Behind Forced Security Pledges…(link)
Taylor Denies Abramoff Fundraiser was a Fundraiser…(link)
Ney’s Troubles Weigh on Election…(link)
Negligence Killed Blackwater Guards, Suit Says…(link)
Rove Keeps Security Clearances?…(link)
Looking for a Job, Knowing Curt Can’t Hurt…(link)
