Nevada Democrats target Laxalt, Adelson in records request

By Yvonne Gonzalez

Wednesday, March 8, 2017 | 1:12 p.m.

Nevada Democrats want copies of state Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s communication with the man they call his biggest donor.

The Nevada State Democratic Party filed four records requests with Laxalt’s office on Wednesday. One seeks correspondence involving Laxalt or his chief of staff, Nicholas Trutanich, and Las Vegas Sands Corp. staff members, including Sheldon Adelson, from March to June 2016 and the first two months of this year. State party officials also want schedules dating back to Jan. 5, 2015, showing meetings between Laxalt or Trutanich with Adelson or Sands executive Andy Abboud.

Laxalt has faced criticism over an April 2016 meeting with Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett. Democrats have asked the FBI to release any audio recordings and documents related to the case and called for a state ethics investigation, saying Laxalt was attempting to push Burnett into supporting Adelson in a lawsuit.

Nevada Democratic Party spokesman Stewart Boss said these records requests may encourage officials to be more forthcoming about the conversation. He said the FBI has decided not to proceed with a criminal investigation, but this “does not mean that what (Laxalt) did was proper.”

He said the public has a right to know whether Laxalt misused his office’s power.

“Since Attorney General Laxalt refuses to clear up this ethics scandal and call for the release of the FBI tape, these public records requests will help shine a light on whether Nevada’s chief law enforcement officer is indeed acting as a personal attorney for his favorite billionaire and his company,” Boss said.

A spokeswoman for Laxalt said the attorney general’s office will comply with the Nevada Public Records Law.

The attorney general previously told the Associated Press that the Democrats’ call for an ethics investigation into the conversation was the result of "false and baseless complaints."