Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has made good on his promises to contribute financially to former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko’s legal fund, with his PAC, the Searchlight Leadership Fund, donating $10,000 in July according to Federal Election Commission documents, Politico reported this week. Former Reid aides also began the fundraising site www.JaczkoLegalFund.com, to which eight people have made public contributions. The site asks for support “so other public servants won’t be afraid to stand up for the welfare of the American people.” Jaczko was the target of “relentless, unfounded persecution from Congressional Republicans and industry insiders,” organizers wrote on the website, and “was forced to protect himself and incurred substantial debt standing up to the attacks.” Former Senate staffers who worked with Jaczko when he was an aide to Reid threw a fundraising party for the former chairman in July as well.
In 2009, Jaczko was named Chairman of the NRC by President Barack Obama at the urging of Reid, for whom Jaczko had worked as an aide. Last October, the four other NRC commissioners wrote to the White House that Jaczko was a manipulative manager and had created a “chilled” work environment. At two Congressional hearings, the commissioners told lawmakers they felt Jaczko was unfit to continue serving as chairman. In May, while a damning internal NRC Inspector General report was being readied for release to Congress, Jaczko resigned pending approval of his successor. Allison Macfarlane was confirmed to replace Jaczko in July.