Laxalt violated federal election law by launching his campaign while controlling Morning in Nevada PAC and continuing to use it to promote his campaign
End Citizens United (ECU) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) asking for an investigation into Adam Laxalt, candidate for U.S. Senate in Nevada. The complaint states Laxalt violated federal election law by controlling Morning in Nevada PAC, a state PAC, while running as a federal candidate, and continuing to receive prohibited in-kind contributions from the PAC.
Click here to read the full complaint
“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,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “We’re asking the FEC to immediately investigate Laxalt’s violations under the Federal Election Campaign Act.”
Click here to read coverage of the complaint from the AP
In the complaint:
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Adam Laxalt has a long history of involvement with Morning in Nevada PAC, a state PAC. According to the PAC’s state filings, Laxalt served as the President of the PAC beginning in February 2019.
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In 2021, at the Morning in Nevada PAC’s annual “Basque Fry” event, Laxalt and Republican allies fostered support for his 2022 Senate candidacy, despite him still being listed as the current President of the PAC. At the event, Senator Tom Cotton effectively announced Laxalt’s candidacy stating, “Adam, I guess he’s not supposed to say that he’s going to be your next United States Senator. There’s some campaign finance rules against it. But what do I care about some stupid rules like that? Adam Laxalt is going to the United States Senate for the Battle Born state in 2022.”
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Similarly, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis encouraged Laxalt to run for Senate at the 2021 Basque Fry. And Richard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence said he expected voters to hear from Laxalt on Tuesday: “We can’t make any announcements here about Adam’s future, but as a close friend of Adam’s, I’m telling you I am pushing him hard, that on Tuesday maybe he’ll make an announcement.”
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By using the 2021 Basque Fry to effectively announce his federal candidacy, the costs of the event results in an in-kind contribution that by law cannot exceed $5,000. The costs of the event based on PAC’s spending amounted to at least $18,991 on Corley Ranches LLC, $144,185.64 on food and wine purchases, and $50,315.91 on party rentals that altogether well exceeds the $5,000 federal in-kind limit.
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The Federal Election Campaign 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 that falls outside of the federal source restrictions and contribution limits. In the case of spending in connection with a federal election, that spending must also be subject to federal reporting requirements.
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Laxalt remained the President of the Morning in Nevada PAC until August 31, 2021, at which point one of Laxalt’s long-standing advisors, Robert S. Uithoven took over as the President. Laxalt announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on August 14, 2021.
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Since then, Laxalt has continued to be closely tied to the Morning in Nevada PAC and just this past week, used the PAC’s annual Basque Fry to once again advance his campaign for U.S. Senate, saying: “So this is what we can get out of our leaders. This is what we could get if we fight in this state to get me in the United States Senate. Right?”
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Because he promoted his candidacy at the event, it is considered an in-kind contribution to his campaign. The cost of the event was again most likely more than the $2,900 contribution limit. Laxalt has not disclosed any contributions from the Morning in Nevada PAC.
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Laxalt has repeatedly violated federal campaign finance laws by raising and spending state PAC money to benefit his campaign and accepting excessive and undisclosed contributions from the PAC.
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