More Financial Trouble For Harry Reid: Christmas Bonuses Paid From Campaign Funds

October 17, 2006 6:21 p.m. EST

Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid (D-NV) is facing more financial trouble after news breaks that the support staff at his $750,000 condo at the Ritz-Carlton were given Christmas bonuses with campaign funds.

Staff like the doorman at the hotel where Reid lives were paid with $3,300 from his re-election campaign. The entries in the accounting logs were listed as a campaign "salary" and a "contribution."

According to reports, the practice had been going on for years, yet Reid maintains that the way the accounting handled the donations was a "clerical error."

"These donations were made to thank the men and women who work in the building for the extra work they do as a result of my political activities, and for helping the security officers assigned to me because of my Senate position."

Reid says, "I am reimbursing the campaign from my own pocket to prevent this issue from being used in the current campaign season to deflect attention from Republican failures."

The admission comes after, according to CNN, Reid announced he was amending his ethics reports to Congress to more fully account for a Las Vegas land deal - highlighted in an AP story last week - that allowed him to collect $1.1 million in 2004 for property he hadn't personally owned in three years.