Las Vegas, NV: State Republican Party Chairman, Paul Adams, released the following statement today in reference to a recent radio interview of Nevada Democratic Spokesperson Kirsten Searer on KNPR State of Nevada:

“In continuing to defend the indefensible, democrats now resort to out right falsehoods in their attempts to dismiss the substantial ties between Nevada’s embarrassing senior senator, Harry Reid and Jack Abramoff.  Nevada Democratic Spokesperson Kirsten Searer said, in part: ‘…Senator Reid does not have any ties to Jack Abramoff…’ and ‘The money that is in question is money that came from Native American Tribes who have had longstanding relationships with Senator Reid.’ (The full interview can be heard at: http://tinyurl.com/cj65l; with the particular comments found at 17:30 into the interview).

“The facts are dramatically different from what the democrats wish them to be.  Reid’s former aide, Edward P. Ayoob was the top democrat on Team Abramoff.  Further, the “long standing” relationships between Senator Reid and the Abramoff affiliated Native American Tribes only began after Reid’s former aide Ayoob joined Team Abramoff.  Consider the following:

“Ayoob is very close to Reid.  From '97 - '98, Ayoob was on the payroll of Reid’s PAC “Friends for Harry Reid” as the Assistant Finance Director.  Ayoob worked directly for Reid from June 1997 to March 2002 in a variety of capacities, including legislative counsel, tax counsel, appropriations manager, foreign affairs adviser and chief aide on judicial nominations. 

“In 2002, Ayoob left Team Reid to join Team Abramoff when he was hired as a lobbyist by Greenberg Traurig LLP.   

“After Ayoob became Team Abramoff’s top democrat, Abramoff affiliated funds began to flow to Reid.  Ultimately, Reid received over $50,000 from Abramoff affiliated Indian Tribes.  Ayoob was a registered lobbyist for several of these tribes.  Records reveal no donations to Reid from any of these tribes prior to Reid Aide Ayoob becoming Team Abramoff’s top democrat.

“Asserting that all of Reid’s Abramoff affiliated funds are from Native American Tribes is simply false.  A substantial percentage of Reid’s Abramoff affiliated funds came from Team Abramoff fundraising activities for Senator Reid, some of which were organized by Ayoob and held in Team Abramoff offices.

 
“Altogether, Greenberg Traurig, the employer of both Abramoff and Ayoob, donated $19,941 to Reid, making Greenberg Traurig Reid’s 18th largest contributor.

“Despite their wish for the facts to be different, democrats need to stop misleading Nevadans about the full scope of Reid’s Abramoff ties.  Senator Reid is the third highest recipient of Abramoff affiliated funds among democrats.  Reid’s former aide Ayoob was Team Abramoff’s top democrat.  Ayoob represented many of the Abramoff affiliated Indian Tribes that donated to Reid and those donations only started after Reid had his man on Team Abramoff. 

“The time has come for Nevada’s embarrassing senior Senator, Harry Reid, to stop being a sanctimonious hypocrite, admit the depth of his involvement with Jack Abramoff, return his substantial Abramoff affiliated funds, and work for bi-partisan lobbying reform.”