Amodei’s ex-partner in crossfire

CARSON CITY -- A judge said he didn't consider it a conflict when he ruled on procedures for Nevada's special election for an open congressional seat, though he co-owns a small mining claim with a top contender in the race.

District Judge James Russell holds the $500 claim with Republican Mark Amodei. Russell didn't reveal the relationship before he ruled May 19 that Nevada's political parties should nominate their own candidates for the Sept. 13 election.

Russell's opinion later was upheld by the Nevada Supreme Court in a ruling that cleared 14 other GOP contenders from the field.

Amodei, Russell's previous law partner and former chairman of the state Republican Party, received his party's endorsement to appear on the ballot.

On Friday, state Treasurer Kate Marshall, the Democratic nominee, told the Las Vegas Sun it was inappropriate for Russell not to disclose the relationship with Amodei.

"Certainly a judicial commission would probably end up looking at that," Marshall said.

A crowded ballot could have split the GOP vote, giving Democrats a chance to claim the 2nd Congressional District seat for the first time since it was created in 1982. The seat was held by Republican Dean Heller, who was appointed in May to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Russell told the Reno Gazette-Journal in an earlier story that he didn't disclose the mining claim because Amodei had not yet filed for office and Amodei wasn't a party to the lawsuit.

"First of all, who knew if Mark was running or not running?" Russell said of the May 19 ruling. "I hadn't talked to Mark Amodei in over a year. And more important than anything, he was not part of the action (of the lawsuit). Secondly, we go by the parties who are in the action."

But Amodei had declared his candidacy 10 days before the hearing during a news conference that was covered by all large state media outlets. He also was party chairman at the time the state GOP filed the lawsuit challenging rules set up by Democratic Secretary of State Ross Miller to allow a come-one, come-all ballot.