Indy Elections takes you behind the headlines of Nevada politics, delivering scoops and smart analysis on the races that could reshape our lives. You can change your newsletter settings here.
In today's edition: The NV GOP chair's PAC and a tangled money web. Plus: What we learned from David Flippo's (R) military discharge papers, money pours into Nevada's congressional races at the last minute, and a single case of voter fraud.
I always love leaving D.C. to chat with real voters. On the ground in Las Vegas this week, I heard firsthand how they're thinking about the midterms in ways that don't always come across in the media.
At Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) Saturday rally, for instance, several attendees told me they had shown up specifically because they were inspired to see a Latina woman succeeding in politics — even as elected Democrats have shied away from "identity politics." And outside of political events, so many voters I spoke to were barely aware of who the candidates are and what they stand for, an important reminder to take any grand narrative about the midterms with a grain of salt.
This newsletter is published twice a week. We want to hear from you! Email your newsletter editor Mini Racker at mracker@thenvindy.com.
A PAC tied to Nevada GOP Chair Michael McDonald piqued our interest this month — and the situation only got more interesting after that.
The Alpha PAC, which lists McDonald as an officer, received a $100,000 contribution last month — by far the largest single donation the PAC has ever received and more than a quarter of its total fundraising haul since it launched in 2015. It's also the first donation to the PAC in more than three years.
The donation came from a new group called Fighting For Nevada PAC that was founded in August. The registered agent of the group is Jesse Law, the former chair of the Clark County Republican Party who, along with McDonald, was among the six so-called "fake electors" who tried to overturn Nevada's 2020 election result.
Additionally, the PAC's listed address is the same address as a company run by Republican political consultant Rory McShane, who is working on David Flippo's (R) campaign for the 2nd Congressional District.
Fighting For Nevada's campaign finance report shows it was fully funded by Joshua Walters, a billionaire who briefly ran for Congressional District 3 last year as a "Trump Republican." McShane, a consultant for Walters, told The Indy at the time that some business issues arose for Walters, leading him to bow out.
There's more. The Alpha PAC reported giving $12,000 to a group called Ops Communications, which has the same address as the apartment where Law is registered to vote. That means a group run by Law donated $100,000 to The Alpha PAC, which in turn gave $12,000 to an entity located at what appears to be Law's home address.
Ops Communications is not listed as a registered business with the Nevada Secretary of State's Office. A spokesperson for the office did not immediately respond to a question as to whether this runs afoul of campaign finance rules.
Law, McDonald and Walters did not respond to multiple requests for comment. McShane declined to comment.
A Nevada Independent analysis found that about 40 percent of The Alpha PAC's roughly $200,000 in historical spending was for "consulting" expenses that either went directly to groups tied to Law and McDonald, or directly to Law and George Harris, a longtime Clark County Republican Party official and current state Senate candidate. Harris did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
The Alpha PAC's website says it partakes in "robust advocacy efforts and strategic policy initiatives" to achieve its goals, which include "securing the integrity and fairness of the electoral process and making Nevada the most friendly state for families, business owners, workers, and taxpayers alike."
However, about 6 percent of the PAC's all-time spending was categorized as for a political candidate, group or initiative. Another 57 percent of its spending went toward travel and office costs. It spent $3,000 in 2021 at a spa in Las Vegas that focuses on skin care services.
The Alpha PAC has faced scrutiny before over its fundraising and spending practices. In a 2016 letter on state party letterhead inviting people to a fundraiser for President Donald Trump, Harris asked for donations to be sent to The Alpha PAC. He later said it was a "mistake."
— Eric Neugeboren
The Nevada Independent has finally received a full copy of Congressional District 2 candidate David Flippo's (R) military discharge papers.
Previously, Flippo's campaign had only shared portions of the document, also known as a DD-214 form. Those portions included a section describing decorations and education that indicated he received an outstanding unit award with a valor device — a detail Flippo's campaign has pointed to as the source of confusion around his Bronze Star, for which his campaign has also provided a citation.
The full certificate of release, shared with The Indy last week, is critical to verifying Flippo's discharge status and summarizes awards, decorations, deployment and occupational specialties. The Nevada Independent agreed not to publish the complete papers to prevent sharing sensitive personal information.
The document shows that Flippo was honorably discharged and received an outstanding unit award with a valor device, three oak leaf clusters and other medals. It also shows he received the Bronze Star, but without the valor device.
A standard Bronze Star is awarded for meritorious service or achievement in a combat zone without direct personal exposure to combat risks, whereas a Bronze Star with Valor is awarded for heroism under enemy fire. Military experts have described the Bronze Star as fairly common, but the Bronze Star with Valor as rare, with only 1 in 40 of the 100,000 Bronze Stars awarded in the Iraq War carrying the valor distinction.
Flippo's form also listed 10 years of foreign service, just shy of half of the 24 years he spent in the service. He has previously said he spent most of his career in the Middle East.
The form does not include details about Flippo's firing as squadron commander in 2008 or other information about his time in service.
— Tabitha Mueller
Who's behind the shadowy PACs?
Does Nevada accept ballots after Election Day?
Here's what four potential presidential candidates had to say at IndyFest.
One week before Election Day, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is swooping into Nevada.
The biggest news is that the committee will run coordinated ads in Northern Nevada's 2nd Congressional District on behalf of former Assm. Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-Reno) during the final week of the election, per AdImpact. Republicans significantly outnumber Democrats in the district, which Trump won by double digits. National Democrats have never invested in the district like they have this year, suggesting they really believe now is the time to flip it.
Alongside Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), the group is also running an ad in the 1st Congressional District that attacks her opponent, state Sen. Carrie Buck (R-Henderson) as a "self-serving politician."
In the 3rd Congressional District, the DCCC is planning ads targeting Asian American voters. In all three of the Democratic-held, Las Vegas-area districts, the group has announced an ad urging Black Americans to "vote Democrat" to lower high gas prices.
— Mini Racker
Congressional candidates empty their coffers — Congressional candidates filed their last round of major reports before the midterms, which cover the first two weeks of October. They are, however, required to continue reporting contributions of $1,000 or more. A few things stood out.
The Nevada Independent PAC? — It's not us. If you live in Assembly District 9, you might have seen a flyer going around listing endorsements from the "Nevada Independent Voter Coalition." The endorsement slate — which includes Democrats and Republicans — comes from AD9 Republican nominee, Erica Neely, whose campaign is paying for the flyers. The "Nevada Independent Voter Coalition" is not a registered PAC, according to the SOS's website.
Voter fraud? — After the U.S Attorney's Office charged a Nevada resident with illegally voting in the 2024 election, Nevada SOS Francisco Aguilar (D) put out a statement Friday saying that the office fulfilled its "legal obligations to the DOJ" and supports investigations "that include credible evidence."
— Mini Racker and Isabella Aldrete
A post that caught our eye:
We would also like to learn about democracy in Greece.
We'll see you later this week.
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