A statement from former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid insisting that “a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate” has suddenly disappeared from the website of the Senate Democrats as jurors deliberate in the federal corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).
On Nov. 1, 2008, Reid issued the statement after Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was convicted on corruption charges. The verdict came down just before his 2008 re-election bid — which he narrowly lost. Pointing to Stevens’ conviction, Reid wrote that “the reality is that a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate.”
Reid added that Stevens’ decision to break the law with “partisan political gain” in mind should not be viewed as a “a partisan issue.”
This statement, however, appeared to be removed recently from the Senate Democrats’ webpage after residing there for roughly nine years, America Rising PAC press secretary Scott Sloofman highlighted in a press release Tuesday.
“For over nine years, Democrats.Senate.Gov has hosted then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Nov. 1, 2008, statement calling on the just-convicted Sen. Ted Stevens to resign,” Sloofman noted. “Yet, now that jury deliberations in Sen. Menendez’s trial have started, this is the page you get when you go to:”
The statement’s webpage link now only leads to a page stating, “This link is extinct! We’re working on it.”
[contentcards url=”http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/dem-senate-page-deletes-harry-reid-statement-prior-to-menendez-verdict/” target=”_blank”]