"Nothing dealing with government was going on there. I was hustling money," Reid said when asked why reporters weren't allowed to hear him speak at the fund-raiser — even though he said he spoke there about the need for transparency by government leaders.

A spokesman for the national political action committee, Phil Singer, declined to say Wednesday how much money was raised. The invitation to the fund-raiser set a minimum gift of $1,000 to attend, noting the maximum individual contribution was $26,700.

Wayne Holland, head of the Utah Democratic Party, said the fund-raiser was "very successful. A lot of very prominent Utahns were there." Holland said Reid "is a godsend for us. The Democratic Party in Utah calls him our best senator."

Matheson, who introduced Reid at the press conference as someone who "makes me proud to be a Western Democrat," told reporters he had not seen the proposals to restrict lobbying but would likely support them.

Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman James Evans, who was ignored when he tried to ask Reid a question, said the Democratic leader took money from Abramoff "affiliates. . . . Now he's blaming Republicans for doing the same thing."

---

E-mail: lisa@desnews.com