Justice Requested Harris Campaign Docs — in MayThe Orlando Sentinel reports that federal prosecutors in May requested documents from the files of Rep. Katherine Harris’ (R-FL) senatorial campaign:
Justice Department officials have requested records from the Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris as they continue investigating the dealings of a defense contractor involved in a wide-ranging congressional corruption case. . . .
It was not clear if federal prosecutors issued a subpoena or sent a letter to the campaign in search of information, and a Harris spokeswoman would not elaborate.
This puts Harris at Stage IV of the TPMmuckraker Political Scandal Process (TM). Stages I-III include:
– Allegations of wrongdoing appearing in media
– Hiring of expensive lawyer
– News of federal investigation appearing in media.
Stage IV is the denial that the lawmaker is, in fact, a target. (see also Tom DeLay, “I am not a target of this investigation. Abramoff has nothing to do with me.”)
Harris delivered last night. Via the Sentinel:
In a news release, Harris said prosecutors told her that she was “not a target of the investigation” surrounding Mitchell Wade, a defense contractor who has pleaded guilty to bribing a California congressman and funneling $32,000 in illegal campaign contributions to Harris in 2004.
