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One of determining factor’s in Mayor Vince Gray’s political survival is when he knew of the $653,000 shadow campaign orchestrated by two prominent donors. If he knew during the campaign, then he could face criminal sanctions and would most certainly have to resign. But if he didn’t, well, he might just survive.

This morning the Post reported this morning that Gray met with convicted shadow campaigner Jeanne Clarke Harris in January to discuss the off-the-books effort. But in an update this afternoon, reporters Nikita Stewart and Mike DeBonis report that Gray may first heard of the shadow campaign during that meeting:

On Thursday, a person close to Gray confirmed the January meeting, saying the discussion marked the first time the mayor heard of a “shadow campaign.” During the meeting, the person said, Gray told Harris to submit her expenses immediately with the city’s Office of Campaign Finance to comply with the law.

“He never heard back from her again,” said the person, who discussed the matter with Gray on Thursday.

Obviously, some of this has to be taken with a grain of salt—the mayor is barely holding on, so people around him will want to support him. But if it’s true, it will certainly make him look less like a crook and more like someone who was oblivious to what some of his supporters were doing to help him win the 2010 election.