$2,800 dinner with contractor dogs Harris

22 Apr 2006 // Battling a report that she had a $2,800 dinner with a man later convicted of bribing a congressman, Katherine Harris wrapped up a weeklong tour of North Florida with a message of hope for the future of her beleaguered U.S. Senate campaign.

Harris said she made amends for her previous failure to pay for her dinner with a $100 donation to a Jacksonville-based religious group that claims its crusades have resulted in "supernatural deliverance from demonic possessions."

Speaking to Republican leaders in the IMAX Theater just blocks from the state Capitol Friday afternoon, the Republican congresswoman from Longboat Key said, "We have turned this race around. Thank you for encouraging me to stay in the race and stick to my guns," she told the small crowd.

But not all Republicans are on board. The Orlando Sentinel reported Friday that Harris' former political strategist, Ed Rollins, told the paper that Harris was a guest at a $2,800 dinner paid for by a defense contractor who later pleaded guilty to bribing a California congressman.

Rollins said Mitchell Wade spent $2,800 on food and wine at the dinner as he offered to host a fund-raiser for Harris. Wade was seeking support from Harris to secure federal money to build a facility for his business, MZM Inc., in Sarasota.

Wade has since pleaded guilty to bribing former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif. Cunningham was sentenced to prison.

U.S. House rules prohibit members from accepting gifts greater than $50.

During a lengthy interview in Tallahassee on Friday, Harris refused to discuss the matter, instead referring reporters to a prepared statement.

"At the time I had a meal with Mitchell Wade, I thought that my campaign would be reimbursing my share of the cost. I later discovered that somehow this was not done," the statement reads. "Neither I nor my advisors ever thought it would be appropriate to reimburse Mr. Wade in the midst of the government investigations into his conduct. Just to resolve any questions, I have donated to a local Florida charity $100 which will more than adequately compensate for the cost of my beverage and appetizers."

The group to which Harris donated $100 is Jacksonville-based Global Dominion Impact Ministries, Harris spokesman Chris Ingram said.

A Web site for a group named Global Dominion Impact Ministries based in Jacksonville states that one of the group's founders, Pastor Sandra Jones, "has an inspiring testimony of her deliverance from being sold to devils as an infant. She also shares her miraculous healing from her breast cancer as well as being raised from the dead." Ingram declined to answer questions about the donation or the group, or why Harris selected them for the donation. Attempts to contact Global Dominion Impact Ministries late Friday requesting comment were unsuccessful.

Harris also turned aside questions about continued speculation that she may face Republican opposition.

"I can't speculate, some people say primaries are good for you," she said. "I've never had the elite support (in past campaigns). It always looks rather bleak, but we believe we'll outwork them."

Two of the men often mentioned as possible GOP opponents are Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, and House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City.

Lee has only answered "no comment" when asked if Republican leaders have asked him to consider entering the race. National Republicans leaned hard on Bense late last year to enter the race, and he said Friday that the door is still open, adding that his wife asked him Friday morning what his plans were.

"If I had to bet, I'm probably at 50-50, but probably inclined to go home," Bense said. "I think we've had a pretty good run so far in the (Florida) House and there's nothing wrong with quitting while you're ahead. But you never know."

Harris ratcheted up her attack on incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, chiding him for a liberal position on issues including his failure to vote to ban gay marriage.

"We like to tease that Bill Nelson is in bed with Sen. (Ted) Kennedy on the gay marriage issue," she told the Republican meeting in Tallahassee Friday.

Nelson campaign manager Chad Clanton responded, "Katherine Harris has no credibility and neither do her charges. Her phony attacks are a cynical attempt to deflect attention away from her involvement in the largest congressional bribery scandal in history."