In Case You Missed It, corrupt politician Adam Laxalt is facing wall-to-wall coverage over accusations he broke the law. According to a new complaint, Laxalt violated FEC laws by illegally controlling a state-level PAC and using prohibited resources to boost his bid for US Senate. This adds to his long list of campaign finance scandals, ranging from abusing his office to help out his donors, to a pay-to-play scandal that landed him in federal court.

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Las Vegas Review Journal: Laxalt faces formal complaint over campaign finance

Colton Lochhead // 8.19.22

Key Points: 

• End Citizens United, which endorses and supports Democratic candidates who back campaign finance reform, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission asking for an investigation into Laxalt over his involvement with the annual Basque Fry put on by his Morning in Nevada PAC.
• The complaint says that because several of the speakers that year hinted at or outright proclaimed Laxalt’s candidacy, the event — as well as this year’s iteration — should have been deemed an in-kind contribution that would have exceeded the federal limit. The complaint also claims Laxalt used the Nevada PAC to get around federal campaign finance restrictions on money raised and spent.
• “Adam Laxalt is illegally using Morning in Nevada PAC to break campaign finance laws and get away with taking big corporate money for his campaign. He embodies the corrupt political campaign practices that Nevadans resoundly reject,” End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller said in a written statement.
• The complaint specifically cites a comment that Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., made during the 2021 Basque Fry, claiming it should have triggered Laxalt’s candidacy for the federal seat.

KRNV (Broadcast) 8.19.22:

ANCHOR: The complaint alleges that Laxalt violated campaign finance laws by using the Basque Fry to promote his campaign while being President of the PAC that organized it. Laxalt was the president of the more of the Morning in Nevada PAC until August of last year. 

Associated Press: Democratic PAC says Laxalt violated campaign finance law

Gabe Stern // 8.19.22

Key Points: 

• The Basque Fry is run by the Morning in Nevada PAC, which Laxalt was the president of until August 2021, when his candidacy for U.S. Senate was announced. By allegedly controlling a state PAC as a federal candidate, he violated Federal Election Commission guidelines, said End Citizens United in its complaint.
• The Democratic group said in its report filed with the Federal Election Commission that Laxalt violated federal campaign finance laws by raising and spending well over the $5,000 limit for in-kind contributions from the Morning in Nevada PAC after he became a federal candidate for office. It argues since Laxalt’s campaign was touted at both events, it should be recorded as a contribution.
• U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton announced Laxalt was running at the 2021 Basque Fry on Aug 14, which “triggered federal candidacy,” the complaint alleges. Laxalt filed paperwork announcing his candidacy the following day, on Aug 15. According to the complaint, his name appeared on Morning in Nevada’s state registration until Aug 31.
• It also alleges that Laxalt’s speaking slot at this year’s Basque Fry, which was used to promote his campaign, should count as an in-kind contribution. Laxalt has not reported any contributions from the Morning in Nevada PAC during his campaign.

KLAS (Broadcast) 8.19.22: 

ANCHOR: The complaint alleges Laxalt broke the law by using an Annual GOP cookout to promote his campaign while he was president of the PAC that organized the event. 

Nevada Appeal: Complaint charges Laxalt violated federal election law

Geoff Dornan // 8.19.22

Key Points: 

• “In 2021, at the Morning in Nevada PAC’s annual Basque Fry, Laxalt and Republican allies fostered support for his 2022 Senate candidacy, despite him still being listed as the current president of the PAC,” the complaint said.
• “By using the 2021 Basque Fry to effectively announce his candidacy, the cost of the event results in an in-kind contribution that, by law, cannot exceed $5,000,” the complaint charges, adding that the cost of the event was at least $18,991.
• The Federal Election Act of 1971 prohibits federal candidates and any organization that is “directly or indirectly” established, maintained, financed or controlled by a federal candidate from raising or spending funds in connection with an election. The complaint says Laxalt remained the PAC’s president until Aug. 31, 2021, at which point he turned it over to longtime adviser Robert Uithoven when he announced his candidacy officially. But the complaint charged Laxalt has remained closely tied to Morning in Nevada and last week used the annual Basque Fry again to advance his campaign.
• The complaint charges that, this year as well, the cost of the event was likely in violation of the contribution limit.

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