Senate bid by Katherine Harris R-FL hits some bumps [View All]

[seafan]

Senate bid by Harris hits some bumps

By JOE FOLLICK
Sun Tallahassee Bureau

February 27. 2006 6:01AM


TALLAHASSEE - In a campaign desperate for smooth roads, Katherine Harris' quest for the U.S. Senate just can't stop hitting the potholes.

After weathering months of whispers from her party she can't defeat incumbent Democratic U.S Sen. Bill Nelson, the Republican congresswoman from Longboat Key suffered yet another bumpy stretch last week.

First, word came her finance director and campaign treasurer both resigned. Then a Quinnipiac University poll showed she was trailing Nelson 53 to 31 percent.

And on Friday, a former defense contractor pleaded guilty to bribing a California congressman. Mitchell Wade, the former president of MZM Inc., also said he'd given more than $50,000 in illegal contributions to Harris. MZM was Harris' largest donor in 2004; Harris recently gave the donations to charity.

Harris denied any wrongdoing in accepting the contributions, saying in a statement she was "disappointed by the disrespect shown by a few individuals to the rule of law."

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To insiders studying the matter, Sabato said, Harris' involvement with MZM is exacerbated due to her receipt of illegal contributions in her 1994 race for the state Senate.

"Even Republicans would say she had her warning and apparently didn't learn anything from it," Sabato said. "It's one thing to be fooled once but to be fooled twice says more about you than the foolers."

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