The leak also deeply angered the class of senior GOP aides who interact with their Democratic counterparts in high-stakes negotiations over issues such as the debt ceiling.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. I don’t know how David thinks anyone on either side of the aisle will ever be able to work with him again. I guess this is part of Harry Reid’s plan: He refuses to talk with Republicans so I guess his chief of staff figures he doesn’t need to be able to do so either,” says one longtime senior GOP aide.

“He’s a low-rent, self-dealing bagman,” a second senior GOP aide says.

Krone, for his part, is undeterred.

“Every time one of these anonymous Republican aides takes a look at their paycheck, I hope they remember it was Harry Reid who protected their employer contribution,” he tells National Review Online in a statement.