In the nearly four months since launching his second doomed bid for Nevada Senate, Sam Brown has been plagued by ethics scandals – from running a shady PAC that swindled grassroots donors for his own benefit, to getting caught trying to conceal his Texas ties and leadership role at a radical anti-choice group’s Nevada chapter.
Now, Brown is facing three separate ethics complaints over his shady dealings and apparent violations of federal law. It’s no wonder Inside Elections reported Mitch McConnell’s hand-picked candidate has “stumbled since launching his campaign.”
Read more about Brown’s scandal-plagued few months below.
Las Vegas Sun: Nevada GOP Senate hopeful clears up disclosure omission, faces FEC complaint
By Casey Harrison
Key points:
- A recently filed amended financial disclosure report from Nevada Republican Senate hopeful Sam Brown now includes his involvement with a pro-life nonprofit. But the candidate now finds himself the focus of a complaint over use of funds from a political action committee he formed in 2022.
- The Sun reported last month that Brown failed to disclose his role as chairman of the Nevada Faith and Freedom Coalition’s executive board, a role he accepted in November 2022, in papers that must be filed under U.S. Senate rules for candidates seeking election to the chamber.
- A spokesperson for Brown’s campaign told the Sun prior to its Oct. 8 story that the retired U.S. Army captain hadn’t been with the Nevada Faith and Freedom Coalition since May, “well before his campaign launch.” But the recent amended filing, dated Oct. 18, lists Brown as the organization’s director from October 2022 to October 2023.
- The new disclosure form also lists two other companies that were previously not on Brown’s initial form: Sierra Palisade LLC, which Brown formed last August, according to the Nevada secretary of state’s office, as well as TBSA 30, a Texas-based company Brown founded in 2012…
- KTVN-TV in Reno first reported Brown’s failure to disclose TBS[A] 30 on Oct. 18 — the same date Brown’s campaign filed the amended disclosure form.
- Brown was still featured prominently on the Nevada Faith & Freedom Coalition’s website, both on its homepage and its “about” section until shortly after the Sun reached out to Brown’s campaign in early October. The only press release under the website’s “news” tab is a Nov. 20, 2022, piece announcing Brown as the organization’s chairman.
- But within days of the Sun reaching out to Brown’s campaign, the website’s homepage was changed to feature a quote from late civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., and the “about” section also removed mention of Brown.
- Brown also is in hot water with the political action group End Citizens United, which on Thursday announced it had filed a complaint with the FEC against Brown. End Citizens United alleges Brown “illegitimately” used his Duty First PAC — which he said was formed to help elect Nevada Republicans to Congress — to retire debt from his failed 2022 Senate run.
- CNN reported in August that fewer than 2% of Duty First’s funds went toward candidates, and that approximately $55,000 of a $91,500 fund was used to repay said campaign debt. End Citizens United alleges Duty First appeared to have raised funds without disclosing to donors the funds would go toward debt retirement, which they contend is an FEC violation, among other violations.
- “Sam Brown’s scheme represents a new frontier of misleading donors and taking advantage of higher contribution limits for his own self-benefit,” End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller said in a release announcing the complaint. “This malicious misuse of his PAC is unprecedented and, if left unchecked, would set a dangerous precedent increasing the power of ultra-wealthy donors. We strongly urge the FEC to investigate this corruption and hold Brown accountable.”
