DeMint Blocks Leadership Deal on Ethics Bill Conference

• By John Stanton
• Roll Call Staff
• June 28, 2007, 4:59 p.m.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) scuttled a deal between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to start long-stalled conference proceedings on an ethics and lobbying reform package Thursday afternoon, raising an objection at the last minute even as McConnell and Reid were formalizing the agreement.