Reid hitched $3,600 ride home for Christmas

Following an intense stretch of debate and maneuvering last December that culminated in a big Senate vote on health care reform on the morning of Christmas Eve, Sen. Harry Reid had one last concern: How to get home for the holidays with wintry weather causing travel roadblocks out of Washington.

Not to worry. Reid, the majority leader, hitched a flight west with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on a plane owned by her husband, investment banker Richard Blum. Reid reported the ride as a gift on his 2009 personal finance report that he submitted recently to the Senate.

Feinstein and Blum were flying to California following the vote and invited Reid along, according to Reid staff. They flew to San Francisco, where Reid caught a connector to Reno. He spent Christmas there with his wife and part of his family.

After checking with the Senate ethics committee, Reid reported the value of the plane ride at $3,625.

The Senate prohibits senators from accepting most gifts worth more than $49.99. There is an exemption for gifts from fellow members of Congress. There is also an exception for gifts "provided by an individual on the basis of personal friendship."

"The ethics committee is fully aware of this. We went over it with them every step of the way," a Reid aide said.