Metro not targeting any lawmakers in alleged extortion

Las Vegas police said Friday they don’t plan to prosecute any Nevada lawmakers in an alleged extortion plot aimed at Nevada Republican Assemblyman Chris Edwards.

Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence Section began the investigation in December after Edwards came forward with claims he was approached about changing his vote for Assembly speaker.

No state legislators are targets of the investigation, and detectives do not expect to ask the Clark County district attorney or the attorney general’s office to file charges against any lawmakers, according to a statement police released Friday.

Police said they plan to conduct follow-up interviews with several key witnesses and will continue to analyze evidence they’ve recovered.

“A primary objective of the investigation has been to determine the facts without affecting the integrity of the legislative process,” the statement said.

Longtime Republican activist Tony Dane, who has been involved in a recall campaign against Edwards, remains the chief target of the investigation.

Detectives executed a search warrant in February at Dane’s Virginia home with the help of Virginia State Police and have been poring over evidence seized since then. Earlier this month, they seized Dane’s automated dialing, or robo-calling, equipment, in Salt Lake City.

During the Virginia search, police looked for evidence tying Dane to Assemblyman Brent Jones, R-Las Vegas, veterans advocate Robert Lauer and political activists Laurel Fee and Jerry Littman. Detectives earlier executed a search warrant at Lauer’s home.

State records show that Dane, who has denied wrongdoing, has a Nevada political action committee that reported raising $245,000 last year. All of the contributions to his CRC PAC, which lists a Las Vegas address, were reported as coming from either Dane or his company, Dane & Associates.

Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske has been scrutinizing the PAC, which was set up to fund recall efforts against some GOP legislators.

When the extortion allegations first surfaced, Edwards told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I’m the victim here. I’m the guy who kind of blew the whistle.”

Several candidates were vying for the leadership post, including Assemblyman Paul Anderson, R-Las Vegas, and Assemblyman John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas. Hambrick eventually was supported unanimously as speaker in a February Assembly vote.

Attorney David Otto, who represents both Dane and Lauer, has filed court papers seeking the return of the property seized from them. He also wants a judge to unseal sworn affidavits police submitted to obtain permission to conduct the searches. The requests are now being heard in federal court.

The Assembly Republican Caucus has been in turmoil since the GOP took control of the chamber in November’s election for the first time since 1985.

Former Minority Leader Pat Hickey, R-Reno, was ousted and replaced as caucus leader by Assemblyman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks. But Hansen stepped down over controversial writings that were seen as sexist and racist by critics.

Hansen had been supported by conservative members of the Assembly, while Hambrick was backed largely by more moderate members of the GOP caucus. Edwards is part of the moderate wing of the party and has been in the cross hairs of conservatives, including those who have signed pledges not to raise taxes.

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