Unintended Consequences; A Story About Realtors, Lobbyists and Betting on the Wrong Horse
By any account, Washoe County Commissioner District 2 should go down as one of the most contentious and most expensive commissioner races in Washoe County history. Apparently both sides knew the stakes were high, with the opportunity to potentially move the commission from what some have called a “rubberstamp for developers” to more of a “for the people” style leadership in District 2. With accusatory mailers and accusations of dark money, this was the race to watch in local politics.
In a rather stunning fall from grace, Bob Lucey, who had been favored by the political pundits and backed by the stalwarts of the local government affairs lobby and the major campaign contributors, lost to Mike Clark in the primary by 14 points. This was even after a County backed effort to prevent Mike Clark from even entering the county complex following a bizarre Sheriff’s investigation into him mailing public records around town to expose what he believed was corruption. Despite the legal maneuvers by the County, and his opponents use of a Political Action Committee (PAC) formed presumably to third-party attack Clark, the voters chose Clark to represent District 2. We understand many are beside themselves with his solid victory.
Although previously reported on by The Nevada Globe and Picon Press, the 1864 PAC and its tangled web deserve some additional exposure. This is especially important given the Reno Sparks Association of Realtors (RSAR) collusion with Bob Lucey acolytes.
Picon Press learned from Secretary of State C&E reports, that the RSAR has given extensively over the years to a variety of causes and candidates. Despite more than $180,000 in contributions since 2012, the RSAR went big this season. Not only did they go big to support Bob Lucey, but they also spent more on Lucey and his supportive PAC than they ever had on any candidate, since the inception of the Secretary of State on-line records. The 1864 PAC and Bob Lucey benefitted from the RSAR to the tune of $21,500.00, in the primary. We can only use known associations and public records to build a circumstantial basis for the high contributions, given the lack of transparency from the RSAR.
Reno Sparks Association of Realtors Contributions Report
To better understand why the RSAR was so invested in Lucey, Picon Press engaged a local private investigator to contact the Association and try to obtain a statement about their support for candidates other than Mike Clark. When we learned that Mendy Elliott sits on the Legislative Committee as a paid lobbyist, further questions arose as to her ties to Lucey and ultimately the 1864 PAC.
When the investigator attempted to ask questions of April LaBrie, the President of the Board of Realtors, he was stonewalled and referred to their website. When pressed as to why the Association would not back their own member, who has been a realtor, broker, and mortgage lender for over 14 years in Nevada, her comment was “we endorsed in the primaries to Bob Lucey” she went on to explain that the Legislative Committee, of which Mendy Elliott is a member, interviewed all the candidates and chose to endorse Lucey. She also assured our investigator that Mendy Elliott would reach out to him, however she never did. April additionally claimed that Mike Clark did not need their help, as “he seems to be doing just fine on his own.”
April, at the office of RSAR
We have also reached out to the Abbi Agency (RSAR media relations), Nannette Fink (RSAR), Mendy Elliott and others on the Legislative Committee of the RSAR and no one will comment. This makes the story even more interesting. Why the wall of silence, and why not explain to their members why the RSAR chose the 1864 PAC and whether the RSAR was aware of a potential conflict of interest within their committee?
Less than Six Degrees of Separation
To better understand the relationship between Mendy Elliott, 1864 PAC and Bob Lucey, we dove into the Secretary of State contributions and expense reporting and some other publicly available records. The 1864 PAC was launched in the Spring of 2022, by Corey Henderson, apparently to funnel money for third party attacks on Mike Clark. Although PACs are not a new thing, and both sides of the isle have come rely on them for questionable contributions and expenditures, the unprecedented contributions from the RSAR garnered our attention. Given the newness of the 1864 PAC, how would the RSAR even know the PAC existed, let alone why would their board have felt comfortable giving away over $17,000 to an unknown entity with no track record of results? Unless, of course, a person within their organization, who knew the principles involved with the PAC, and who wanted to help a specific candidate win re-election sold the PAC to the committee.
We know from photo accounts that Corey Henderson (PAC Founder) and Nick Vander Poel are friends. Nick is the son of Mendy Elliott, the same Mendy Elliot who lobbies for the RSAR. Nick cohabitates with Christi Quatro, owner of Big Fish Consulting and the campaign manager for Bob Lucey 2022. Picon Press has written about Big Fish Consulting and Corey Henderson previously. We also know from source reports that on October 26, 2022, in Reno, the NCET hosted Jon Ralston for a lunch discussion on local and state politics and Mendy Elliott, Nick Vander Poel and Corey Henderson shared a table.
Nick Vander Poel and Corey Henderson.
It is fair to say, beyond mere circumstance, that Bob Lucey has a connection with Corey Henderson via his campaign manager, Big Fish Consulting. With Corey being the owner of 1864 PAC, it is not a stretch to suggest that 1864 PAC was formed to benefit Bob Lucey and no one else. In fact, the 1864 PAC gave no money to any candidates and only one candidate gave to the 1864 PAC, $10,000.00 from Bob Lucey.
What about Mendy Elliott, what is her connection to Bob Lucey aside from her son’s friendship with him? Based on her bio, Ms. Elliott has her fingers in many pots. As she is apparently helping to make decisions about the RSAR’s political contributions, she is also on the staff of Flynn & Giudici a local law firm. Her son, Nick, is also a principle in the same firm, and the 1864 PAC paid Daniel Giudici’s LLC.
The rule is, always follow the money and, in this case, we followed the monetary expenses listed on 1864 PAC C&E Report filed on July 15, 2022, where there was a category ‘F’ expense paid on May 5, 2022, to ‘Center Street Strategies’. The payment related to ‘consultants’ in the amount of $15,975.00. When we checked the address of the company, listed on the report, we found it to be a private residence in Reno owned by Martin Giudici, but when we checked the Nevada Sectary of State’s business license database, we found the company lists Daniel Giudici as the registered agent and managing member of ‘Center Street Strategies.’ We believe this is the same Daniel Giudici who is a principal/partner at Flynn & Giudici and who is the employer of Mendy Elliott as the Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Her son, Nick Vander Poel, is a principal at the same company. It would appear the 1864 PAC paid $15,975.00 for consultants for a couple direct mail pieces calling Mike Clark creepy (this did not include printing the direct mail pieces – that totaled $16,638.03 paid to Hurricane Print in Minden Nevada).
The 1864 PAC incoming contributions
Part II 1864 PAC incoming contributions
Expenditures of the 1864 PAC
Why are we reporting on this? We find it interesting that RSAR Reno Sparks Association of Realtors supported a PAC that appears to have been formed to attack one of their own members – Mike Clark. Realtors donate to the RSAR Political Action committee, so we ponder, do the realtors know one of their own was attacked with the money they donated? Also, might we suggest that paying $15,975.00 to someone for a consult on a direct mail piece seems like a substantial amount, was this what it cost to have an attorney clear their mailer as ‘defensible’ in a future civil matter? We wonder if realtors will now question if they should donate to their RSAR PAC in the future – sort of like their donations being used to defeat themselves … and that just seems creepy.
The 1864 mailer attacking Mike Clark