Harris donates money to offset meal with contractor

24 May 2006 // U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris has donated an undisclosed amount of money to an undisclosed Florida charity to offset the cost of a dinner she had with a subsequently convicted defense contractor two years ago.

The March 2004 dinner with Mitchell Wade, the former chief executive officer of MZM Inc., occurred at Citronelle, one of Washington's most expensive restaurants, and was not reported on Harris' financial disclosure records. Wade pleaded guilty earlier this year to bribing former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif. He stipulated that he gave Harris' 2004 congressional campaign $32,000 in illegal contributions.

Harris, R-Longboat Key, had a subsequent dinner with Wade at the same restaurant last year, which had previously been reported by the media. Harris said the $2,800 tab for that dinner was because Wade took several unopened bottles of expensive wine with him.

After reports of the second meal surfaced, Harris contributed $100 to Global Dominion Impact Ministries in Jacksonville to offset what she said was her share of the dinner's cost.

After the earlier dinner was reported last week, Harris' campaign declined to indicate how much she contributed or to which charity, other than to say it would be classified as a 501(c)(3) organization, referring to the tax code.

Harris wrote a personal check "that would more than adequately compensate the cost of her food and beverage," campaign spokesman Chris Ingram said Tuesday. He said he did not know how much the dinner cost, but that Harris had only a "couple of appetizers and a beverage."

The donation should not be considered a "reimbursement," but rather a "symbolic measure to show that she can't be bought for the price of a meal," Ingram said.

Harris has previously said she met with Wade to discuss his plans to establish a naval counterintelligence center in her congressional district and his plans to help raise money for her political efforts. Harris later submitted a request for a $10 million appropriation for the center, but the request was rejected by the House Appropriations Committee.

The nonpartisan watchdog group Common Cause has filed a complaint with the Justice Department alleging that Harris violated federal law by seeking the appropriation in exchange for an offer of fund-raising support.

The Justice Department has declined to comment on the complaint.

Harris also contributed $50,000 this year to Habitat for Humanity to cover the contributions from Wade and others associated with MZM.

Ingram said Harris told him she did not have any other meals with Wade and would amend her disclosure reports to reflect the meals.