Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) reacted swiftly to revelations that his campaign had purchased $16,786 worth of "holiday gifts" (for donors) from his own granddaughter, announcing that he would personally reimburse his campaign for the cost of the trinkets. Reid also angrily rebuffed a reporter’s question about the questionable campaign activity, chiding him for describing the amount as $17,000. "Sixteen [thousand dollars], but whatever," Reid snarked.
Well, Reid looks awfully silly now that previous campaign documents have turned up almost $31,000 in payments to Ryan Elizabeth Reid for "gifts for supporters." But whatever.
Reid, naturally, thinks everyone should shut up about the whole thing. "This has gone too far and it needs to stop now. I deeply regret any role I had in creating this situation but now, as a grandparent, I say enough is enough," he said in a statement Wednesday. "I believe my granddaughter is a very talented individual and I admire her work tremendously, but I've decided that it would be best to pay for her work out of my own pocket."
The Federal Election Commission is looking into the matter. Shockingly, this isn't Reid's first run-in with the FEC.
Meanwhile, Reid's campaign to demonize the Koch brothers—for allegedly gaming the campaign finance system to enrich themselves and those around them—proceeds apace. What a guy.