Grand jury hears evidence in alleged political extortion plot
A Clark County grand jury Tuesday began hearing evidence against longtime Republican activist Tony Dane in an alleged extortion plot against a Nevada assemblyman.
Chief Deputy District Attorney J.P. Raman and Las Vegas police Detective William Schoen, the lead investigator in the case, showed up outside the grand jury room shortly before 1:30 p.m.
Schoen, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Intelligence Section, was the lone witness.
Other witnesses — including the alleged victim of the scheme, Assemblyman Chris Edwards, R-Las Vegas — are expected to be called to the grand jury over the next several weeks.
Attorney David Otto, who represents Dane, said his client plans to fight any indictment.
"It won't surprise me if the grand jury indicts Mr. Dane only because they'll do anything the prosecutor tells them to do," Otto said. "The burden of proof is extremely low in a grand jury. If a true bill comes, we will defend the case on the facts and the evidence, and I believe we will prevail."
Dane received a target letter from the grand jury in December seeking business records from his political consulting company, Dane & Associates.
In June, detectives with the intelligence section disclosed that they conducted court-approved wiretaps on the cellphones of Dane and others linked to the scheme, including Las Vegas Republican Assemblyman Brent Jones. Police have said they do not plan to seek charges against any state lawmakers.
Dane, a conservative anti-tax advocate and longtime Nevada political consultant who operates a robocalling business, is alleged to have laid out the extortion plot in a recorded meeting with Edwards on Jan. 10, 2015. Dane was allegedly trying to win Edwards' support for a move to replace moderate Republican Assembly Speaker John Hambrick of Las Vegas.
The grand jury investigation is focusing on allegations of extortion, illegal wiretapping and the filing of false public documents with the secretary of state's office involving Dane's CRC PAC. He listed all of his $245,000 in contributions to his CRC Political Action Committee in 2014 as coming from either himself or Dane & Associates.
The investigation began in December 2014 after Edwards reported he was being pressured to change his vote for Assembly speaker. Republicans eventually installed Hambrick as speaker in February 2015, following a contentious caucus fight.
According to a police affidavit, Dane allegedly told Edwards he knew someone willing to sign an affidavit that Edwards had solicited a $10,000 bribe to vote against Hambrick.
Dane told Edwards an affidavit about the alleged bribe solicitation was to be filed with the secretary of state's office, but he could "bury it" if Edwards voted the "right way," the police affidavit states.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ
