Hammargren blasts ‘corrupt’ political powers

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1998 | 10:54 a.m.

Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren, acknowledging his Republican campaign for governor is sputtering, charged Monday that the Nevada political establishment is corrupt and controlled by the casino industry.

Hammargren told the Sun that voters are "mad as hell" at what he called "immense corruption" in state and local government.

"It's totally corrupt and in the hands of big-money casino people," Hammargren charged.

Hammargren, whose main role as lieutenant governor has been to encourage Nevada tourism and economic development, said he tried to offer himself as a "compromise candidate who isn't bought by the casinos," but he failed to get his message across.

His campaign, doing badly in the political polls, hasn't generated excitement among Republicans, Hammargren said.

"It ain't happening right now," Hammargren said. "The simple answer is my late start prohibited me from fund-raising effectively, and as yet, I have not been a significant factor."

Hammargren, who waited until the the last day of the filing period in May to enter the governor's race, said he was "shut out" by the casino industry in his efforts to raise money. The industry has heavily backed GOP front-runner Kenny Guinn, who has been campaigning since February 1996.

Rumors have been racing through the Republican Party for a week now that Hammargren, a Las Vegas neurosurgeon, plans to withdraw from the race before the Sept. 1 primary election.

Hammargren has been denying the reports all week and insisted again Monday that he is not ready to bow out.

"I'm still campaigning," he said, adding that he didn't fare well in the polls when he successfully ran for lieutenant governor in 1994.

But those close to Hammargren said he was taking steps that would give him the option of withdrawing. Even if Hammargren did pull out, it would be too late to take his name off the ballot.

Hammargren also denied speculation that he was prepared to throw his support this week to his good friend, Hollywood producer Aaron Russo, an anti-government candidate said to be gaining ground on Guinn in some polls.

The lieutenant governor, however, sounded like a Russo booster on Monday, saying the transplanted Californian was striking a chord with voters unhappy with the system.

"He's right," Hammargren said.

Russo has acknowledged talking to Hammargren in recent days, but he has refused to say whether those discussions had anything to do with obtaining Hammargren's endorsement.

"The truth is I don't know what he's going to do," Russo said. "It's Lonnie's decision to make, and so far, he hasn't done anything conclusive."

Guinn strategists Monday weren't happy to hear that Hammargren might embrace Russo three weeks before the primary election.

"He took his shot and didn't get it on, and now in his bitterness, he's selling out the state for a guy like Aaron Russo," one Guinn consultant said.

Guinn's friends are urging his campaign to start responding to a series of unchallenged attacks from Russo, who has been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on television ads pounding away at the GOP front-runner.

"We need to expose him as the demagogue and charlatan that he is," one Guinn aide said.

Guinn, who has a heavy campaign war chest, appeared ready Monday to go on the offensive.

"We're no longer going to stand by and have untruths told publicly," Guinn said. "Even though I prefer to stay in a positive vein and run a campaign with high integrity, when you're dealing with half-truths and untruths, you have to respond to set the record straight."

In recent days, Russo has been airing a television ad that calls Guinn a RINO (Republican In Name Only). Among other things, the ad refers to Guinn's backing of Democrats in previous races.

Guinn supporters, however, have taken to referring to Russo as El NINO (Nevadan In Name Only).

"Russo has never done anything big for Republicans here," Guinn charged Monday. "He said he came here two years ago to run for governor because it would be an easy race to win."

Records reviewed by the Guinn campaign show Russo does not own a home in Nevada and is not listed as having registered to vote for at least 25 years before coming to the state. Russo registered as a Republican here in March 1997.

"At the appropriate time," Guinn campaign manager Pete Ernaut said, "we're going to tell the people of Nevada just who Aaron Russo is."

Guinn, who believes Hammargren developed the idea for Russo's RINO ad, also challenged the lieutenant governor's Republican credentials. Hammargren, Guinn said, was registered as an independent from 1981 until 1991.

"How can they both be good Republicans when they haven't done anything for the party?" Guinn asked. "My record on behalf of the party stands on its own."

Russo said he expects the Guinn campaign, worried about his rise in the polls, to start attacking him.

"It's easy to call people names," he said. "When people call you names, they have nothing of substance to discuss. They can't discuss the important issues."