Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party.
Reid is the U.S. Senate Majority Leader in the 110th Congress. He took over Senate leadership after the Democratic Party won control of the Senate in the 2006 congressional elections.
Reid backed funding for a bridge between Nevada and Arizona that could affect the value of property he owns nearby.
The planned span over the Colorado River between Laughlin, Nev., and Bullhead City, Ariz., got an $18 million boost in last year's massive federal transportation bill.
Reid, who's in line to become Senate majority leader after last week's election, owns 160 acres of undeveloped property in Bullhead City, several miles from the proposed bridge sites. Development is booming in the area and local officials in Laughlin and Bullhead City support a new crossing to ease traffic on the one existing bridge. They also expect it would add to property values.
Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff said Harry Reid was one of the members of Congress Abramoff had allegedly implicated in his cooperation with federal prosecutors. Abramoff told prosecutors that more than $30,000 in campaign contributions to Reid from Abramoff's clients "were no accident and were in fact requested by Reid."
Abramoff has reportedly claimed the Nevada senator agreed to help him on matters related to Indian gambling.
The Associated Press reported earlier this year that Reid wrote at least four letters helpful to the tribes that had contributed money to his campaign.
Reid has denied there was any connection between the letters and the contributions and has said he is a longtime opponent of certain kinds of Indian reservation gambling.
The AP reported that Reid acknowledged "routine contacts" with Abramoff's lobbying partners and intervening to block rival tribal casinos.
The AP also reported that Abramoff's billing records showed extensive contact with Reid's office over a three-year period in which Reid collected more than $68,000 from Abramoff's firm, partners and clients.
