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Brad UnboundRep. Nick Smith's son lost his nomination bid. Now will he come clean?

By Timothy NoahPosted Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004, at 6:13 PM ET

Nick Smith's son Brad lost the Republican primary to replace his father in Congress. It was to Brad's campaign fund that House leaders allegedly promised $100,000 in exchange for Nick's changing his vote to "yes"—which he didn't do—on last November's Medicare drug bill. Or so he said at the time. He subsequently retracted the bribery accusation and fumbled badly in trying to reconcile his various stories. Now that Brad's no longer hostage to the good will of the House GOP, will Nick finally tell the House ethics committee how and when he was offered—and turned down—a bribe? And, most important, who offered it? If he doesn't, how will the retiring congressman ever be able to look himself in the mirror?

Medicare Bribe Archive:
April 29, 2004: "Brad's Little Problem, Part 2"
March 23, 2004: "Kalamazoo Kapitulation!"
Feb. 26, 2004: "FBI Examines Medicare Bribe"
Feb. 4, 2004: "Brad's Little Problem"
Jan. 22, 2004: "Burying the Bribe"
Jan. 8, 2004: "Bob Novak Ate My Brain!"
Dec. 23, 2003: "Now It's a Scandal"
Dec. 8, 2003: "A Drug-Company Bribe?"
Dec. 6, 2003: "Why Smith Can't Recant"
Dec. 5, 2003: "Nick Smith Recants"
Dec. 1, 2003: "Who Tried To Bribe Rep. Smith?"

E-mail Timothy Noah at .

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Timothy Noah is a senior writer at Slate.
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