Reid Pays Interest on Improper Donation

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060815/D8JGI4V00.html

Reid Pays Interest on Improper Donation
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Aug 14, 9:25 PM (ET)

By ERICA WERNER

WASHINGTON (AP) - A seven-year-old political donation has proven costly for the Senate's most senior Democrat.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., last year refunded a $3,000 check he got in 1999 from a Texas friend, Ben Barnes, after a public interest group revealed it was improper. Now he's paid Barnes more than $1,600 in interest, according to recent filings with the Secretary of the Senate.

The filings were disclosed Monday by PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks campaign spending.

Barnes, a lobbyist and former Texas lieutenant governor, made the donation in question to a legal defense fund Reid had established to cover costs of his 1998 Senate race recount, which he won by 428 votes over Republican John Ensign.

[silverlib]

1. That Ben Barnes knows how to make money!

He lobbied for the Texas Lottery and was/is (?) paid 1 cent to 3 cents per ticket purchased. He is also not supporting the Democratic candidate for governor in Texas. Everything he touches turns to money.

[suston96]

2. Ben Barnes?

The Ben Barnes who helped George Bush start his National Guard career?

Oh, THAT Ben Barnes......

Quite a versatile fellow, eh?