Nevada Republicans file FEC complaint against Jacky Rosen
Nevada Republicans filed a complaint this week accusing U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen of accepting illegal contributions.
The complaint stems from a $8 million lawsuit Rosen is fending off from Republican businessman Danny Tarkanian, who dropped out of the U.S. Senate race last month to run for the 3rd Congressional District seat, which is open because Rosen hopes to replace Sen. Dean Heller.
Tarkanian, who squared off with Rosen in the 2016 congressional race, sued Rosen and accused her of defamation with ads in the final weeks of the campaign.
According to the complaint, Rosen hired two high-powered law firms to defend herself, but her campaign hasn’t made any payments for the legal services. One firm, Wolf Rifkin, was not paid, and the other, Perkins Coie, received about $6,000, but it’s unclear if the payment was related to defending the lawsuit.
“This complaint shows that Jacky Rosen was engaging in wildly inappropriate behavior even before she took office, so it’s no surprise that her short time in Congress has been defined by a series of reckless and self-serving decisions,” Nevada Republican Party Executive Director Greg Bailor said.
State Republicans allege Rosen’s campaign accepted 16 months of “free or nearly free” legal services.
Stewart Boss, Rosen’s campaign spokesman, said the contributions in question are legal — and have been properly reported.
“This is a bogus complaint,” Boss said. “Federal law permits party committees to pay for legal expenses, and these services have been paid for and appropriately reported to the Federal Election Commission since the 2016 election.”
A law passed in 2015 by Congress allows national party committees to create accounts to pay for recounts or legal proceedings. One example is the Republican National Committee paying for legal services for President Donald Trump.
News and notes
— The Clark County Black Caucus is hosting town halls for the candidates in the primaries for governor, the 1st Congressional District and the 3rd Congressional District on April 16. For details, call 702-5509590 or email clarkcountyblackcaucus@gmail.com.
— Rosen is speaking to the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $40 for chamber members, $55 for nonmembers and $400 for a table of 10. For details, contact Cara Clarke at 702-586-3832 or cclarke@lvchamber.com.
— Heller will headline a luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Nevada Republican Men’s Club. The event is open to the public, including nonmembers, but not to the news media.
— Gordon Martines, who has run several times for Clark County sheriff, pledged to donate his salary to charity if elected, according to his campaign. Martines said he would give his salary to Opportunity Village and Forgotten Not Gone, a nonprofit dedicated to curbing suicide among military veterans.
— Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid and former Secretary of State John Kerry will appear together Tuesday as part of the inaugural Harry Reid Public Engagement Lecture Series event at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Contact Ramona Giwargis at rgiwargis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4538. Follow @RamonaGiwargis on Twitter. Review-Journal reporter Mike Shoro contributed to this report.
