Harry Reid, Mike Lee Caught In Corruption Probe

by JASmius

Why hasn't Eric "The Red" given the green light to go for their throats?  Answer seems obvious to me:

The FBI and Utah state prosecutors working on a corruption investigation say they have uncovered accusations of financial wrongdoing by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Senator Mike Lee, but the Justice Department has so far declined to act on their recommendation for a full federal investigation.

Two district attorneys, one Democrat and one Republican, told the Washington Times, ABC News, and the Salt Lake Tribune this week that they have found evidence of possible financial wrongdoing by the lawmakers relating to suspect campaign contributions and other financial transactions.

"There are allegations, but they are very serious allegations and they need to be looked at by somebody," Sim Gill, a Democrat and chief prosecutor in Salt Lake County, told the Washington Times. "If true, or even if asserted, they truly should be investigated and put to rest, or be confirmed."

"The current voluminous investigation into various state officials, associates or surrogates is not yet complete." Davis County [Republican] District Attorney Troy Rawlings told Newsmax, "It is our hope that the DOJ will re-engage related to any potential federal aspects of this case. However, we will not ignore potential state ramifications that may present. Sometimes investigations clear / exonerate individuals as well."

I think we can all safely say that if the only senatorial fish that had come up in this particular net was Senator Lee, he would have been blooded, gutted, and hung for butchering at Oberfuehrer Holder's leisure, even though the most of which he's being accused is "whether [h]e provided accurate information when he bought, then sold a Utah home to a campaign contributor and federal contractor, leaving his mortgage bank to absorb large losses."

But then there's the matter of Dirty Harry, who, if the allegations are accurate, continues to live up to his nickname:

Jeremy Johnson, an official at a St. George, Utah, bank that processes hundreds of millions of dollars for one of the world's largest online poker companies, said he and others started arranging tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to state and federal political campaigns, including Reid's, ABC News reported.

Johnson claims he was instructed by online poker figures to hide illegal contributions to the campaigns of Reid and Lee in 2010 by finding "straw donors" who were reimbursed from poker accounts in the bank for money they supposedly contributed.

He also claimed that online poker industry officials hosted a fundraiser for Reid at which he promised to introduce federal legislation to legalize online poker if he was re-elected, which he ultimately did, even though he had had a longstanding public opposition to the legalization of Internet poker. Reid's aides dispute there was any link in the timing of when Reid shifted his position on the matter, according to The Times.

ABC calls Johnson a "controversial figure" who is awaiting trial on 86 internet fraud charges alleging he scammed consumers out of millions of dollars. [emphases added]

To quote Tony Stark after Thor recharged his suit to 400% capacity, "How about that?"  The highest ranking Democrat in the Legislative Branch of the federal government (Yeah, I know, Pat Leahy is Senate President Pro Tempore, but work with me here....) making corrupt quid pro quo deals with a more or less avowed crook and fraudster in exchange for gobs and gobs of campaign loot.  Golly gee whiz, if the Commissariat of Injustice & Revenge actually morphed back into the Justice Department and did its part to bring Senator Pencilneck to justice, why that might just be the final nail in the coffin of a continued Democrat Senate majority, now wouldn't it?  "Culture of corruption," anyone?

That would be a far, far bigger loss than ensnaring Mike Lee would ever be a gain.  I don't think equivalently bringing down Ted Cruz would be enough to offset ending Harry Reid's political career (assuming even this would accomplish that lofty goal, which is at best debatable) in the Regime's eyes.  So they let the big Nevada fish go, even at the cost of foregoing the toppling of Public Tea Party Enemy #2.

It does make me wonder what Holder's thoughts on the matter will be after the Senate falls to the GOP this November.  The Dems just might have a 2016 presidential campaign to worry about, after all.