Republican activist told he’s the target of a Clark County grand jury investigation

Republican activist Tony Dane, the central figure in an alleged extortion plot against a Nevada assemblyman, has been notified he's the target of a Clark County grand jury.

His lawyer, David Otto, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday that he accepted a grand jury target letter on Dane's behalf a few days ago.

The target letter means the district attorney's office has approved a criminal prosecution of Dane, who is alleged to have sought to extort Assemblyman Chris Edwards, R-Las Vegas.

Otto said the letter did not specify a date when the grand jury would convene, but the panel was seeking business records from Dane's political consulting company, Dane & Associates.

"A grand jury will indict Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer if the DA asks them to do it," Otto said. "This is nothing but a follow-up to their fascist fear tactics to intimidate lawmakers."

Chief Deputy District Attorney J.P. Raman, who is handling the case, declined to comment.

In June, detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Intelligence Section disclosed that they conducted court-approved wiretaps on the cellphones of Dane and others linked to the scheme, including another 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 as part of a bid to win Edwards' support for a move to replace moderate Republican Assembly Speaker John Hambrick of Las Vegas.

The 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 last year 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, following a contentious caucus fight.

According to a police affidavit, Dane is alleged to have 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.

Dane also offered Edwards $40,000 toward his campaign debt and up to $150,000 for a future Assembly race, and promised to hold back political fliers attacking Edwards over his stance on taxes, the affidavit alleges.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Follow @JGermanRJ on Twitter.