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Horsford returning contributions after criticism of fundraising letter
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
Updated: Aug. 21, 2010 | 7:17 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford said Friday he is returning all contributions given by donors who responded to his letter offering dinners with him and Senate committee chairpersons for large donations.
Horsford, D-Las Vegas, also admitted he did not consult with any committee chairpersons before sending the letter in July that promised a dinner with him and all chairpersons for a contribution of $25,000 or more.
He declined to state how much money had been raised through the letter for his Victory 2010 political action committee. Secretary of State records show the PAC had secured only $10,100 as of May 28. The next report on donations to PACs is due Oct. 26.
"I was wrong," Horsford said. "I can admit when I am wrong. I didn't consult with any of the chairs, and I regret that. I regret what I did, especially at a time when people deserve integrity in their elected officials."
The majority leader had issued a short statement on Wednesday that he was rescinding the letter he sent to prospective donors. But that letter did not indicate whether he would return donations.
Senate Government Affairs Chairman John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, Natural Resources Chairman David Parks, D-Las Vegas, and Legislative Operations and Elections Chairwoman Joyce Woodhouse, D-Henderson, this week said they knew nothing about the letter.
The senators said they talk with all people, regardless of whether they make donations.
The secretary of state's office looked at the letter earlier in the week and determined that it did not break any state laws. But Republican leaders and several ethics organizations have questioned the ethics of offering access in exchange for money.
On Friday, Julie Tousa, president of the Nevada Center for Public Ethics in Las Vegas, went further, saying the Horsford letter bordered on accepting bribes for votes.
"Meeting with legislators should be free," she said.
"It (the letter) definitely gives the impression that if a person donates a large amount of money and meets with the senator and other legislators (that) their issues will be heard over others," Tousa said.
"It gives the impression that you really can 'buy' votes for the issues you support. Even though the money does not go to a specific candidate, it is not too far away from offering a bribe for a vote," she said.
Horsford said Friday that the ethicists and others "misconstrued" his intentions, but he could see how they interpreted it that way. For that reason, he said he decided to return the money.
"I never intended someone had to make a donation to have access to me or our chairs," he said. "I meet with constituents and business leaders every day and they are not expected to pay anything to talk to me about any issue. I made a poor decision."
He said he will return all contributions made by donors as a result of the July letter. He would not reveal the names of those contributors of the amount of money they gave to his PAC.
But he will leave it up to donors who contributed before the letter was sent out whether they want their money returned.
Any funds the Victory 2010 PAC has received in the last two weeks that are returned now do not have to be mentioned on Horsford's Oct. 26 contribution report to the secretary of state, according to state law. Earlier donations, even if they were returned, must be reported.
Donations made to the Victory 2010 PAC are to be used to elect more Democrats.
The Democrats have a 12-9 Senate majority, but need a supermajority of 14 to override potential governor vetoes or to pass tax increases.
State government faces a possible shortfall of $3 billion next year and Horsford has said that at least some of the money needed will come from tax increases.
Secretary of state records show Horsford on June 1 reported he had received $10,100 in contributions for his Victory 2010 PAC.
Of the money, $10,000 came from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees national office. The union's local affiliate represents state employees who have been critical of moves by the Gibbons administration to cut employee health care benefits and to close the Nevada State Prison in Carson City.
The union in February also sought a four-day work week for state employees, but the enabling bill was vetoed by Gov. Jim Gibbons even though members of his staff testified for the bill.
Besides Horsford, Sens. Mike Schneider and Valerie Wiener, both D-Las Vegas, are listed as officers for the Victory 2010 PAC.
Schneider chairs the Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee, while Wiener chairs the Health and Education Committee.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
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@surfzoned: End of story? Does the concept of ethics mean anything to you? We should expect our 'leaders' to do the things we elected them to do. Poorly phrasing a donation letter is not OK. We, as a society, need to hold our officals to higher standards.
Poorly phrasing a donations letter....Hmmmm....More like lining his pockets..
So he wants us to pay 25k to have access to them. So that is the way it works now.. That means lobbyists and special interest groups can seek favors for a donation? Nice system we have here.
Hell I should have been a politician so I could pocket thousands. I chose the wrong profession...
LOL, Your treasures federal level senator Ensign is still in office and it doesn't look like he's going anywhere and you guys are railing on about calling out the FBI on Horsford for poorly phrasing a donations letter? What a joke. Have any of you ever written a campaign donation request? It's not exactly a grocery list. I guess if Horsford had said he'd repented and was seeking advice from his minister then you'd be ok with it. (PS. what you think will never matter. What the law states does matter. He didn't break the law. End of story.)
I see some of you expect the populace to vote out the Demorats in the NV legislature ?? HA !!! Fat Chance !
Remember, LV is a union town, masses of uneducated, welfare and grant receiving people. They know better to bite the hand that feeds them.
The FBI will have to get involved.
Contact your local legislator anyway and let them know how you feel.
Gosh, still no call from anyone in the Demonratic leadership for him to resign from the Majority leader position ???
Makes one wonder...
The second largest shareholder in News Corp. -- the parent company of Fox News -- has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to causes linked to the imam planning to build a Muslim community center and mosque near Ground Zero in Manhattan, says a report from Yahoo!News.
According to the report from Yahoo!'s John Cook, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who owns seven percent of News Corp., "has directly funded [Imam Feisal Abdul] Rauf's projects to the tune of more than $300,000."
Cook reports that Prince Al-Waleed's personal charity, the Kingdom Foundation, donated $305,000 to Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow, a project sponsored by two of Rauf's initiatives, the American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Cordoba Initiative, which is building the Manhattan mosque.
That Fox News' second-largest shareholder, after Rupert Murdoch, has financial links to the "Ground Zero mosque" will be seen as ironic by critics of the news network, who have watched with chagrin as the network's talking heads attempt to link the mosque to radical Islamism.
What Horsford did I believe is illegal. The Sec of State is a Dem too, so why shouldn't he cover. If the Dems also have a plot to coerce lobbyists not to contribute to GOP candidates in fear of losing access (as previous articles mentioned), that is probably also illegal (it amounts to Mobster Racketeering). If you don't agree with what Horsford did, please complain here:
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/pubcorrupt/pubcorrupt.htm
Submit your complaint with links to the news articles to the FBI and let them do their job to put him and other corrupt politicians away.
Illegal Handicap Parker Horsford. Is there an action any lower than that? I think not!
Amen.........
Jack,
And that has what to do with Horsford's improper actions? Everyone know's you work for Reid or the democratic party.
No. 2 Shareholder of Fox News' Parent Company has Funded Ground Zero Mosque Planner
August 20, 2010 6:43 pm ET by Karl Frisch
According to a report by Yahoo! News’ John Cook, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal -- the second-largest shareholder of Fox News’ parent company News Corp. -- has deep funding ties to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the “principal planner” of the Islamic community center in lower Manhattan.
Is Fox News a terrorist command center?