(Chuck Muth) – Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager seems to attract scandal the way dead fish attract flies.  For example, last year the Nevada Globe reported…

“Although Yeager has remained relatively quiet during the growing ethics scandals, further digging uncovers an eye-watering $2,000,000 allocation to HopeLink of Southern Nevada that raises additional questions regarding Yeager’s accountability in ‘presiding over a culture of corruption.’”

Here’s the latest…

Republican Lisa Cole – endorsed by Gov. Joe Lombardo – is running to hold the Assembly District 4 seat (Clark County) currently held by fellow Republican Richard McArthur against a former heroin addict named Ryan Hampton.

The district has a slight GOP majority, making it a “swing” seat.  It’s about the only Assembly district Democrats have a shot at flipping.  Now get this…

Voters in the district – specifically, REPUBLICAN voters in the district – have been inundated with “hit” pieces in the mail and in text messages falsely claiming Cole is “sweet” on Democrats.

The intent here is obvious; to suppress the GOP vote by lying to Republican voters.  It’s, as Yeager himself would say, a “cheap and dishonest ploy.”

So who’s behind these voter suppression mailers and texts?

They’re being distributed by a shady, pop-up PAC (political action committee) called “Citizens for Balanced Leadership.”  And who exactly is Citizens for Balanced Leadership?

Ah, what a tangled web they’ve weaved!

The PAC was created just last April, immediately after the close of filing for office.  And according to the Secretary of State’s website, it was set up by a guy named Garrett Hade in Las Vegas.

And who is Garrett Hade?

Well, according to the Secretary of State’s website, he’s a managing partner of a company called RSG Media Group.

And guess who one of the other managing partners is?

Ryan Hampton!

The plot thickens…

Obviously, these aren’t Republicans hitting Cole and accusing her of being a “bad” Republican.  It’s a sneaky and dishonest campaign designed to mislead Republicans and suppress GOP votes for Cole.

So where are Hampton and Hade getting the money for this slime campaign?

Well, according to the PAC’s Contributions and Expenses report filed this week, it’s received only two donations – $50,000 on August 1^st and another $50,000 on September 1^st from another PAC named Nevada Strong.

And where did the money go?

Again, according to the PAC’s report, almost every penny went to a company named Click Stamp Strategies.  And who is Click Stamp Strategies?  Well, according to their website…

“Click Stamp Strategies is a full-service direct mail and digital advertising agency that works with Democratic candidates and liberal organizations.”

So a Democrat candidate and his business partner have paid a Democrat consulting firm to falsely accuse a Republican candidate of supporting Democrats in an effort to suppress the Republican vote for the Republican candidate.

I mean, seriously, how low can you go?

But hang on, hang on.  There’s more…

So who’s behind the Nevada Strong PAC that contributed the $100,000 to Citizens for Balanced Leadership?

Steve Yeager!

And where did THAT PACs’ money come from?

According to campaign finance reports, the bulk of it came from a Clark County teachers union PAC ($150,000), a government employees PAC ($200,000), a trial lawyers PAC ($200,000), and a far-left liberal PAC based in Washington, DC ($100,000).

So let’s sum up this scam…

Yeager’s PAC had already maxed out to Hampton with two $5,000 donations and couldn’t give him any more.

So Hampton’s business partner created a “scam” PAC to which Yeager funneled $100,000 from liberal PACs to do mailers and text messages attacking Hampton’s GOP opponent with misleading, at best, ads.

This is money laundering along with false advertising.  A disgraceful campaign tactic.  If it was anything other than politics, people would be going to jail.

And by the way, Yeager’s behind a similar scam in the Assembly District 2 race where false ads are being sent to Republican voters against incumbent Republican Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama.

You can read all about that one by clicking here.

Team Lombardo has said repeatedly that Yeager’s reign in Carson City as the Democrats’ Grand Imperial Pooh-Bah has overseen a “culture of corruption.”  That characterization is “dead-on balls accurate.” It stinks like yesterday’s diapers.

Yeager gives the impression of a fun-loving, clean-cut guy.  But he’s as dirty as they come.  One can only hope his scam doesn’t work and the chickens come home to roost.

I hope he gets head lice.