Catherine Cortez Masto is holding a campaign fundraiser today with Robert Eglet – a Las Vegas lawyer with a history of shady behavior and possible criminal activity.
In 2014, Eglet was at the center of an alleged bribery scheme when he was named as the financier for an effort to keep judicial candidates off the ballot. According to a sworn affidavit, the man hosting Cortez Masto’s fundraiser agreed to offer money to at least one potential candidate in order to convince him to withdraw from a judicial race and instead run against a judge who was not represented by his associate:
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In A Sworn Affidavit, One Candidate Accused Robert Eglet Of Financing A Bribe To Convince Him To Withdraw From His Race: "Except this year, one judicial candidate, Randall Tindall, accused Thomas in a sworn affidavit of offering him a bribe to withdraw from challenging District Judge Rob Bare and suggesting the Las Vegas attorney run against District Judge Valerie Adair, who is not a Thomas client. Tindall said Thomas offered to fund the campaign against Adair using the resources of wealthy Las Vegas attorney Robert Eglet.” (Jane Ann Morrison, “Las Vegas Candidate’s Allegations Reveal Another Side Of Judiciary Races,” Las Vegas Review Journal, 4/5/14)
- "After Tindall’s name appeared on the candidate board, Thomas was on his cellphone talking and walking in and out of the room, Tindall wrote. ‘Mr. Thomas then approached me. As he read from his cellphone (or at least gave the impression he was reading from it) he told me the following: ‘Hey, Bob Eglet just texted me and says he doesn’t want anyone running against Rob Bare. So, if you’ll get out of the race against Bare and into the one against Valerie Adair, he says he’ll foot the bill for your campaign.’ ” (Jane Ann Morrison, “Las Vegas Candidate’s Allegations Reveal Another Side Of Judiciary Races,” Las Vegas Review Journal, 4/5/14)
Eglet was also involved in another criminal investigation as part of a scheme between doctors and personal injury lawyers to bilk patients out of money:
- "The man’s attorney, Robert Eglet, is also reported to be under scrutiny with Kabins in the government’s ongoing probe. Federal agents are investigating allegations that a group of personal injury lawyers and doctors conspired to line their pockets at the expense of patients.” (Jeff German, “Prosecutors Happy To Give Feds First Crack At Rezko,” Las Vegas Sun, 6/15/08)
This isn’t the first time Cortez Masto’s financiers have caused problems for her campaign. In September, she was forced to disinvite her headlining guest from a fundraiser after taking heat for raising money with a terrorism apologist.
- Cortez Masto Disinvited Headliner From Fundraiser After Being Criticized For Her Ties To Terrorism: “Catherine Cortez Masto, a former Nevada attorney general who is running for the U.S. Senate, has disinvited City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito from a fundraiser for her campaign, because of the speaker’s support for a Puerto Rican nationalist imprisoned for seditious conspiracy… Mark-Viverito supports the release of Oscar López Rivera, a member of the Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN) in Puerto Rico, who was convicted and sentenced to 55 years in prison for conspiracy to transport explosives with intent to destroy government property, among other charges, in the 1980s.” (Gloria Pazmino, “Senate Candidate Disinvites Mark-Viverito From Fundraiser,” Politico New York, 9/9/15)
There are two possible explanations for Cortez Masto’s continued attempts to fill her campaign account with the help of crooked donors. Either she’ll do anything it takes to raise a few bucks, even if that means raising money with possible criminals, or her campaign is so hapless that they can’t be bothered to check on where their money is coming from.
Either explanation raises a red flag for Nevada voters, who deserve a Senator who will stand with them instead of corrupt political insiders – and has the sense to know the difference.