ICYMI: Between campaigns, Laxalt turned to lucrative private practice, right-wing litigation [Nevada Independent]

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Nevada Independent: Between campaigns, Laxalt turned to lucrative private practice, right-wing litigation
By Riley Snyder
December 16, 2021

Key Points:

• Beyond the former attorney general’s much-publicized and ultimately unsuccessful efforts to overturn the results of Nevada’s 2020 election, Laxalt remained busy.

• Publicly, Laxalt during that time took on two prominent roles — partner at the well-known law firm Cooper & Kirk, PLLC and outside counsel for Americans for Public Trust, a right-of-center watchdog group.

• His personal financial disclosure filed on Monday shines more light on how Laxalt moved to a lucrative private practice after his defeat in 2018.

• Most notably, the disclosure gives a fuller view of Laxalt’s work for Cooper & Kirk.

• According to his financial disclosure, Laxalt reported income of $2.2 million through the law firm as a “partnership distribution,” a direct payment from a partnership to an individual partner, with the payout taxed once it reaches the individual’s hands.

• Though his profile is no longer listed on Cooper & Kirk’s website, a spokesman for the firm confirmed in November that Laxalt is still a partner with the firm.

• Through his financial disclosure, Laxalt also reported receiving income from 10 additional sources beyond Cooper & Kirk for providing “legal services.” His campaign did not respond to a request for comment as to whether those sources of income were related to his employment with the law firm.

• Notably, Laxalt listed the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling as one of his sources of income. The lobbying group, which was founded and funded by the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, strongly opposes the expansion of online gambling.

• Adelson was a major donor to Laxalt, who as attorney general in 2015 said he would sign on to a letter circulating among other state attorneys general in support of federal legislation to outright ban online gaming.

• Laxalt also reported the following additional sources of income above $5,000, the reporting level required in the disclosure report…Starpoint Resort Group Inc., a timeshare company located in Las Vegas. The company contributed $30,000 to Laxalt’s gubernatorial campaign in 2018.

See Also: Nevada Independent’s CEO Jon Ralston: “Election denier made a fortune doing very little in between campaigns.”

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