Katherine Harris: going down with Duke?

Readers may remember news earlier this week about Rep. "Duke" Cunningham's "bribery list," which gave defense contractors a helpful list of ways they could buy off the California congressman.

Florida's Katherine Harris also took money from Duke's most egregious briber, Mitchell Wade of MZM, Inc., and is now refusing to release information about how she attempted to return the favor, the Tampa Tribune is reporting today:

Katherine Harris, the Longboat Key congresswoman running for U.S. Senate, is refusing to honor a pledge to reveal her requests for federal earmarks - so-called pork barrel spending.

The material Harris is withholding includes a letter she wrote in April 2005 on behalf of a defense contractor who funneled illegal contributions to her 2004 campaign.

The contractor, Mitchell Wade, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to bribing one congressman and disguising his over-the-limit contributions to Harris and another Republican member of Congress so they would insert his projects into appropriations bills.

The contractor, Mitchell Wade, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to bribing one congressman and disguising his over-the-limit contributions to Harris and another Republican member of Congress so they would insert his projects into appropriations bills.

Harris spokeswoman Kara Borie confirmed Wednesday that she had seen the April 2005 letter, establishing publicly for the first time that Harris took special steps on behalf of Wade, a major contributor.

The St. Petersburg Times has another piece spelling out the problem.