Neal criticizes $10,000 in Enron donations to Guinn

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2002 | 11:14 a.m.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has raised almost $3 million for his re-election campaign, but it's $10,000 in donations from Enron that a cashless Democratic opponent is questioning.

State Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, said Guinn should write a check and return the two $5,000 donations.

"The amount of money that was accepted from Enron shows that the reason they were in here and trying to change our public policy was that they had the approval to do so," Neal said. "I think that the activities here, for the short time they were here, reflect the increase in our energy rates."

Guinn's campaign chairman Pete Ernaut called the claim ridiculous and said Guinn would return the money if there were a mechanism to send money to assist Enron's workers.

He also downplayed any impact the $10,000 has on Guinn's re-election bid, considering Guinn also accepted the maximum allowed $10,000 from most of the state's gaming companies and major businesses.

"I swear sometimes if Senator Neal didn't have something to complain about, he wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the morning," Ernaut said.

Guinn raised $2,958,055 for the race and spent $1,273,433. He has $1,684,322 left and no serious challengers to make him so much as print a campaign sign. Guinn's expenditures have covered his consultants and campaign office in Las Vegas, which is shared by three other Republican candidates.

In other state races, the major party attorney general candidates have raised $1.4 million in their campaign to replace retiring Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa.

Republican Brian Sandoval, a Reno attorney and former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, raised $902,211 and spent $392,021, according to campaign reports filed Tuesday with the secretary of state's office.

Democrat John Hunt, a Las Vegas attorney, raised $581,614 and spent $288,789.