Former Nevada Republican Chairman sentenced to year in prison for fraud ... Next?

[LVZ]

http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/may/11/ex-nevada-gop-chairman-gets-year-prison-hoa-fraud/
http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns-blogs/jane-ann-morrison/blabbing-first-wark-cuts-best-deal-himself

Corruption seems to be the norm in the upper ranks of Nevada's Republican Party. Current Nevada Republican Party Chairman (former Las Vegas City Councilman and crooked cop) Michael McDonald was tainted with corruption by his mob connections to Rick Rizzolo and Mike Galardi and other shady/corrupt business activity.

http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/3-26-07_Inside_Vegas.html

It was Rizzolo who first paid then-LV Councilman Mike McDonald $5,000 per month "consulting fees" to allegedly harass Galardi and other strip club owners.

When Galardi also began paying McDonald $5,000 per month to reportedly leave him alone, Rizzolo was heard on FBI wire taps mocking Galardi and calling him stupid.

Rizzolo continued paying McDonald, an ex-cop, and the beatings and robberies at the Crazy Horse continued while McDonald's cronies at Metro P.D. looked the other way while reportedly accepting comps in the club's V.I.P. room.

In addition to McDonald, Rizzolo tried to pay off David Roger, the local District Attorney. After I exposed the attempt in an article I authored for TwistedBadge.com, Roger hastily returned Rizzolo's money, but still dutifully dropped all prosecutions associated with Rizzolo's club.

Neither Roger nor McDonald were prosecuted for accepting Rizzolo's money, but several San Diego City Councilmen and four Clark County Commissioners were sentenced to prison for accepting Galardi's cash.

What's the difference?

McDonald called the money "consulting fees," and Roger called it "campaign contributions." Those who were convicted conveniently "forgot" to report it on their IRS or campaign contribution forms. But birds of a feather clearly flocked together on this one even though some got away with only their feathers ruffled.

Nonetheless, Galardi testified that McDonald was one of the politicians he bribed, but somehow the slick politician has escaped prosecution -- so far, and Roger did say he returned Rizzolo's money...

Maybe current Nevada GOP Chairman McDonald (photo left) was just following in the proverbial footsteps of this earlier Nevada Republican Party Chairman Steven Wark (right), who was sentenced this week to one year in prison.

http://nvprogressive.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-new-nevada-gop-chairman-or-what.html

In April 2009, the city council gave McDonald a sweetheart deal, selling him a 3.9-acre parcel of land for $1.3 million. They did so with full knowledge that McDonald planned to immediately spin off the property to a supermarket chain for $3.1 million — netting himself a quick $1.8 million by shorting taxpayers on the value of their land.

Moreover, McDonald was convicted of violating city ethics laws involving another land deal that he pushed for while a member of the city council in 2000.

That's when Las Vegas city council members voted to award their former colleague Michael McDonald $3.5 million in redevelopment funds, as well as $1.1 million in federal grant funding to subsidize the cost of constructing a downtown housing development that will include some "affordable" housing units for seniors. McDonald was also awarded a 75-year land lease — worth $1.4 million in present value — for just one dollar.

City council members voted to approve the project even though city staff recommended they not do so.

So basically, Michael McDonald ran into quite a bit of trouble while he was on the Las Vegas City Council. And even though he's no longer on it, he's still using his "juice" at City Hall to get sweetheart deals. And now, he's the Chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, the party of "NO BIG GUV'MINT! NO BALE-OWTZZZ!!!"

[unblock]

1. a republican convicted of fraud? what, did he tell the truth?

[Wellstone ruled]

2. And so it goes in Vegas.

Just another twist and turn in Nevada Politics.

[LVZ]

3. Michael McDonald - current Nevada GOP Chairman

http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/TheMikeMcDonaldConnection.html (just a few excerpts)

Ex-councilman's past might prepare him to be GOP chairman

John L. Smith - March 8, 2012

Although it was a brief encounter back in October 2008, the deposition McDonald gave in the litigation of Kirk and Amy Henry against Rick Rizzolo and former wife Lisa Rizzolo is an example. The deposition isn't damning so much for what it says, but for how McDonald responded to the questions of Henry attorney Donald Campbell. The Henrys are suing the Rizzolos to recover the $10 million the topless mogul agreed to pay them to settle a civil claim after Kirk Henry was nearly killed in a beating outside the Crazy Horse Too topless club. In short, McDonald pleaded the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination. By my count, he took the Fifth 10 times in 10 pages of transcribed deposition. That's not a record, but that also doesn't make McDonald appear he had nothing to hide in connection with what he might know about where the Rizzolos stashed any money and merchandise that might benefit a quadriplegic and his wife and kids.

Michael McDonald’s city deal gets curiouser and curiouser

By Jon Ralston - LAS VEGAS SUN - Friday, May 4, 2012

He doesn’t have any money. He doesn’t have any experience. All Michael McDonald has is one of the sweeter deals in development history with a local government. I was curious where McDonald could come up with such a hefty sum, having emerged less than two years ago from bankruptcy, his house only saved by the generosity of developer/gambler Billy Walters, who purchased McDonald’s expensive home in a short sale and let the indebted ex-councilman stick around.