Reid secured money allegedly misspent by church

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2005 | 10:11 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid secured the federal money that was allegedly misspent by Second Baptist Church leaders.

Reid, D-Nev., a member of the money-doling Appropriations Committee, routinely earmarks money for Nevada programs and projects. In 2001, Reid carved out a $900,000 grant as part of a fiscal year 2002 Justice Department spending bill for two programs that help prisoners transition back to society -- one in Reno and one in Southern Nevada to be operated by the Alliance Collegiums Association of Nevada.

The two groups divided the money, with $423,000 going to the alliance. The group received the money in 2002 and the alliance was supposed to use the grant to open and manage halfway houses for former convicts.

But on Tuesday, the man identified as the president of the alliance, the Rev. Willie Davis, along with his wife, Emma, were indicted for spending $330,000 of the money on themselves. Davis is the pastor at one of Nevada's oldest black Baptist church, Second Baptist Church. Also indicted was another pastor, the Rev. McTheron Jones.

Like many groups in Nevada, the alliance had submitted a program proposal to Reid, spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said. Reid, deeming it a worthy cause, secured the federal money for it, she said.

But after that, the money went to the Justice Department, which is responsible for dispensing and administering the grant, Hafen said.

So while Reid secured the money and is friends with Davis, the Justice Department -- not Reid -- was responsible for making sure the money was spent appropriately, Hafen said.

"The granting agency makes sure that the grantee is in compliance with federal regulations," Hafen said.

Reid still supports the convict transition program and believes it is a worthy program, Hafen said. But Hafen today said Reid had no comment about Davis or his indictment.

Reid has known Davis for years, Hafen said. Davis routinely invites Reid to the church and the senator has been there perhaps eight or 10 times over the years, she said.

Reid has also donated money to the church from his campaign coffers, which is allowed by Senate rules. Reid gave the church $100 in December 1999; $500 in November 2002; and $500 in February of this year. Also, in September 2002, Reid gave the church $250 that he had received from controversial Democratic campaign donor John Huang, who had been convicted of making illegal contributions from overseas donors to the Democratic Party.

Reid did not feel comfortable with having taken the money and so he donated it to the church, Hafen said.

Benjamin Grove is the Sun's Washington bureau chief. He can be reached at (202) 662-7436 or by e-mail at grove@lasvegassun.com.