Earlier this year, Reid alleged Romney hadn’t paid any taxes for at least one year. | AP Photos Reid attacks Mitt's Mormonism

Mitt Romney “is not the face of Mormonism,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says, adding the former Massachusetts governor has “sullied” his faith.

“He’s coming to a state where there are a lot of members of the LDS Church,” Reid said in advance of Romney’s visit later this week to Nevada, according to the Salt Lake Tribune on Monday, based on a Friday conference call Reid did with reporters. “They understand that he is not the face of Mormonism.”


Reid, a Mormon, said he agreed with Gregory A. Prince, a Mormon historian who wrote a blog post criticizing Romney in the wake of the Republican’s remarks disparaging the “ 47 percent.”

“He said that Romney has sullied the religion that he, Prince and Romney share,” Reid said on the conference call. “And he’s so disappointed that in his words, ‘It’s a good religion and he’s hiding from it.’”

Republicans took issue with Reid’s theological dabbling.

“Shame on them,” Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) told the Tribune. “Harry Reid seems to be making this way too personal and consequently throwing the religion under the bus for his own personal gain. That’s not where anyone should be going with this. He’s taking this two steps too far.”

Earlier this year, Reid alleged Romney hadn’t paid any taxes for at least one year. According to a summary of Romney’s tax rates released by the nominee’s accountant, his lowest-ever tax rate was 13.66 percent.