Heller rewards staff after election win

WASHINGTON -- For top campaign aides and consultants to Sen. Dean Heller, "winning" rhymes with "ka-ching."

Heller, R-Nev., authorized payments to the architects of his election victory over Democrat Rep. Shelley Berkley, according to documents his campaign filed last week with the Federal Election Commission.

Heller spokeswoman Chandler Smith said the debts "are a combination of consulting fees owed at the close of the report as well as some additional compensation."

Victorious campaign teams sometimes are awarded win bonuses, but Heller's office declined to use that term to describe any part of the payments or to provide a further breakdown.

Campaign manager (and Senate chief of staff) Edgar "Mac" Abrams was owed $75,000, according to the campaign report. Eight other aides and consultant firms were listed for payments ranging from $15,000 to $27,500.

Payments to staff and consultants totaled $414,500, including $165,000 in a combination of money owed for services and additional compensation to November Inc., the firm of Heller's chief consultant, Mike Slanker.

While the payments were promised, the checks had not been cut as of Nov. 26, the date of the FEC filing. They were counted among $602,873 in late bills yet to be paid by the Heller campaign.

The debts outstripped Heller's cash on hand, which was $239,502 as of that date.

For the campaign, which Heller won by 11,576 votes over Berkley out of 997,805 votes cast, he reported receipts of $9,341,398 and expenses of $9,101,894.

Berkley began wrapping up her campaign in the days following the election. She reported raising $10,542,462 and spending $11,738,847.

Berkley reported $41,836 remaining in her political account. That does not count the $250,000 she loaned her campaign in October that remained as a debt.

- Steve Tetreault

FRESHMEN ALREADY AT WORK

CARSON CITY -- Although they have not yet been formally sworn into office, three freshman legislators took their seats Tuesday at a meeting of the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee.

Assemblymen Andy Eisen, D-Las Vegas, Michael Sprinkle, D-Sparks, and Paul Anderson, R-Las Vegas, all now serve as members of the 23-member committee that handles budget matters when the entire Legislature isn't meeting.

Six other new members of the committee have previous legislative experience but did not serve on the committee during the 2011 session.

The committee consists of members of the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. These committees are considered the most prestigious in the Legislature, and appointment to them is considered a plus for these members.

The freshman members, as well as all returning legislators, formally will be sworn into office when the 2013 Legislature opens Feb. 4. But under state law they become legislators right after the November election.

Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, now chairs the committee. She won election to a second term in the Assembly after serving 12 years in the Senate.

Carlton replaces the previous chairwoman, Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks. Smith was elected to the Senate in November and has been appointed chaiwoman of the Senate Finance Committee.

But since the chair of the Interim Finance Committee rotates between the Senate and Assembly, Smith for now is the new vice chairwoman.

As much as legislators want to serve on the interim committee, there are drawbacks. Typically the committee hearings last six to eight hours and members struggle often through tedious matters.

- Ed Vogel

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC. Contact Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.