Fuhgeddaboutit!
Everybody's favorite wise guy, the Oddfather himself, Senator Harry Reid got caught with his meat hooks in the cookie jar:
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid accepted free ringside tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission to three professional boxing matches while that state agency was trying to influence him on federal regulation of boxing.Sure Harry, we believe ya! No word on whether he also got freebies at the Mustang Ranch. Of course, his big mistake was taking the tickets personally instead of having his kids do it, like he usually does.
Reid, D-Nev., took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 as he was pressing legislation to increase government oversight of the sport, including the creation of a federal boxing commission that Nevada's agency feared might usurp its authority.
He defended the gifts, saying they would never influence his position on the bill and was simply trying to learn how his legislation might affect an important home state industry. "Anyone from Nevada would say I'm glad he is there taking care of the state's No. 1 businesses," he told The Associated Press.
