Tarkanian supporter accused of selling endorsements to candidates

Anjeanette Damon

Sunday, May 30, 2010 | 2 a.m.

A prominent anti-illegal immigration activist who endorsed Las Vegas businessman Danny Tarkanian in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate is being accused of selling his support to candidates.

In a story last week, Politico alleged Minuteman Project co-founder Jim Gilchrist strong-armed candidates into hiring his political adviser for their own campaigns in return for an endorsement from Gilchrist.

Gilchrist’s political adviser, Howie Morgan, who runs the political consulting firm Election Impact Group, denies the allegations. He said they can’t be trusted because they come from the opponent of Rep. Parker Griffith, R-Ala., who won Gilchrist’s endorsement.

“Look at the source,” Morgan said.

Gilchrist co-founded the controversial Minuteman Project, which recruits volunteers to help patrol the Mexican border. He endorsed Tarkanian this month, saying he was impressed by Tarkanian’s tough stand but couldn’t really articulate why it was any different from the other candidates in the race.

To tout the endorsement, the Tarkanian campaign flew Gilchrist to Nevada. Morgan came with him.

Tarkanian’s campaign adviser James Fisfis said the campaign has no business relationship with Morgan and was not asked to hire the firm before the endorsement.

Morgan said he does not have a contract with the Tarkanian campaign. Morgan said he gives Tarkanian’s campaign manager Brian Seitchik free advice on scripts for radio and TV ads.

In any case, Tarkanian’s FEC report will likely show an expense related to the Gilchrist endorsement. The campaign paid for Gilchrist and Morgan’s travel to Nevada. But Fisfis said they also paid for Sarah Palin’s family to come to the state to campaign for Tarkanian.

The art of the official visit

Technically, first lady Michelle Obama won’t be campaigning for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., when she comes to Nevada this week.

Her stop is “an official visit,” and Obama will speak on the initiatives she has spearheaded throughout the country — childhood obesity and women’s issues.

Luckily enough for Reid, who’s facing an extremely difficult re-election battle, he gets to “officially” introduce Obama at her events. Those events will be attended by hundreds of excited Democrats key to his re-election efforts.

Obama will speak in Reno on Monday at a Women’s Summit hosted by Reid and in Las Vegas on Tuesday to kick off her Let’s Move initiative.

Christensen gets going

Assemblyman Chad Christensen, R-Las Vegas, finally got around to filing his immigration initiative petition. Christensen, a candidate in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, wants Nevada voters to pass a law similar Arizona’s targeting illegal immigrants.

Christensen filed the necessary paperwork Friday. Because he is seeking to change state law, and not the constitution, he has six months to collect 97,002 signatures to put the question on the ballot.

Anjeanette Damon is the Reno Gazette-Journal’s political reporter and writes the “Inside Nevada Politics” blog at rgj.com/inp.