Nevada firms fork over $1.4 million at GOP event

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, March 1, 2001 | 11:16 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The Republican Governors Association walked away from an annual winter conference $7 million richer -- thanks in part to Las Vegas donors.

About 50 Nevada executives, mostly gaming officials, forked over "significant" contributions that totaled an estimated $1.4 million at an GOP governors' fund-raising dinner Monday night in the nation's capital, high-profile Republican consultant Sig Rogich said.

Rogich, a nationally known political money man and Republican adviser who campaigned for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, helped coordinate the Nevada donors. Rogich was current President Bush's finance chairman in Nevada.

The money represented a good showing for Las Vegas interests and buys a little political muscle with America's top political chief executives, Rogich said.

Among the battles Nevada faces are congressional proposals to bury the nation's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and a bill that would ban betting on college sports.

"We have always been supportive of the Governors Association, and at a time when Nevada seems to be under siege -- unfairly I might add -- it gives us a chance to talk to the leadership," Rogich said. "And I think we share a commonality in that we believe in letting the states decide issues for themselves."

The next GOP governors meeting and fund-raiser is planned for November in Las Vegas.

GOP governors were in Washington this week to join their Democratic counterparts for the annual winter gathering of the National Governors' Association.

About two-thirds of the nation's 29 Republican governors, including Gov. Kenny Guinn, plus about 1,200 guests attended the Washington event, an association spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman, who declined to give her name, confirmed estimates that the event netted about $7 million for the association.

MGM MIRAGE chairman Terry Lanni served as event co-chairman and introduced Vice President Dick Cheney, who gave the keynote speech. MGM MIRAGE gave the governors $50,000, company spokesman Alan Feldman said.

Las Vegas-based Anchor Gaming founder and frequent Republican donor Stanley Fulton was among the top Nevada donors, Rogich said.

Fulton in the 2000 election cycle gave $140,000 to the Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Nevada State Republican Central Committee and congressional candidates John Ensign, Jim Gibbons and Jon Porter, according to donation records.

Monday evening's featured invited guest, President Bush, who has opposed gambling in Texas, could not attend. Bush reportedly was polishing his first address to Congress, which he gave Wednesday. Bush sent Cheney in his place.

The event was held in the ornate Grand Hall of the 116-year-old National Building Museum in downtown Washington (rent starts at $11,000 a night).

The private architectural and cultural museum was originally designed to house the U.S. Pension Bureau and has hosted Inaugural Balls.

Among the GOP governors other donors in the 2000 election season (1999 and 2000): Alliance Gaming Corp. ($5,000); Boyd Gaming ($5,000); and Mandalay Resort Group ($25,000).