Democrats launch website attacking Susie Lee challenger
The Nevada State Democratic Party launched a website Thursday criticizing Republican congressional candidate Dan Rodimer for what the party said was a history of violence and other “dangerous” behavior.
The website, BigDanBiggerProblems.com, features animations of Rodimer, as well as written statements with links to news reports. Rodimer, a small businessman and former professional wrestler, recently won the Republican primary for the state’s 3rd Congressional District. He will challenge incumbent Susie Lee in November.
“Even with as little information as we know about Dan Rodimer, it’s still very clear how dangerous he would be for Congressional District 3,” said Molly Forgey, spokeswoman for the state party. “He has a record of violence and a laundry list of scams designed to take advantage of the most vulnerable.”
Battery charge
The website references a battery charge against Rodimer stemming from a 2010 incident. He was eventually sent to an anger management course in exchange for the charges against him being dropped. Rodimer has publicly admitted the charge and expressed remorse.
It mentions other, similar run-ins with police over alleged violence that did not lead to arrests. It also includes a campaign ad produced by Rodimer’s primary challenger, former Nevada Treasurer Dan Schwartz, that accuses Rodimer of violent behavior.
Alex Melendez, Rodimer’s campaign manager, issued a statement in response to a Review-Journal request for comment.
“Dan Rodimer was arrested years ago for shoving another adult male on a Halloween night,” Melendez said. “Those charges were ultimately dropped, and to this day, he has one arrest, zero convictions and no criminal record. All of these charges were used against him in the primary and it didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.”
Fraud charges
The website refers to alleged incidents that have not yet been widely reported during Rodimer’s campaign, including several fraud allegations and lawsuits against Rodimer from 2002-2011.
According to the Democrats’ website, Rodimer or a business registered to his name, Legend Development Service, was sued in several financial disputes totaling more than $4 million. This included two cases of seven-figure fraud apparently leveled against Rodimer and others by World Wrestling Entertainment star Randy Orton, listed in court documents as Randal K.
The Democrats list court cases filed against Rodimer in Florida and Texas, as well as the amount sought by parties against Rodimer and others, but it’s unclear how each case was resolved.
The website also tries to link Rodimer to a business closed for health code violations, even though he’s not connected to it.
Rodimer and his wife are franchisees of a Pancho’s Vegan Tacos store, which opened in 2019 on Fort Apache Road.
The Democratic website notes that the Southern Nevada Health District and news reports show a separate Pancho’s location at Pecos Road and Tropicana Avenue incurred numerous food safety violations and was temporarily closed in 2017.
But health district records show Rodimer’s store has been inspected twice, incurred demerits for minor infractions but maintained its “A” rating throughout, and has never been closed.
The Democrats also accuse Rodimer of filing a number of “frivolous” lawsuits, including unsuccessfully suing Apple for $15 million and a since-dismissed defamation lawsuit against credit companies, whom Rodimer allegedly said defamed him when they sued him for allegedly not paying back his loans.
“Rodimer can’t be trusted to protect Nevadans or lead on critical issues like health care, education, and recovering from this pandemic,” Forgey said.
Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.
