Paperwork filed to recall Nevada Assembly speaker

Anti-tax conservatives filed a notice of intent to recall Assembly Speaker John Hambrick on Friday.

The notice, filed with the Clark County elections office, allows organizers to start collecting signatures in the Las Vegas Republican’s district in an effort to get a recall election on the ballot.

The organizers contend that Hambrick has strayed from a pledge to not raise taxes and appears willing to work with Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval on his proposed $1.1 billion tax package.

The recall comes on the heels of a leadership struggle between the conservative and moderate factions of the Assembly GOP caucus that developed after Republicans gained control of both chambers of the Legislature and swept the state constitutional officer races in the Nov. 4 election.

To get a recall election on the ballot, organizers need signatures from at least 25 percent of the registered voters who cast ballots in Hambrick’s district in the 2014 election. That means they will need at least 4,116 valid signatures.

Conservative blogger and activist Chuck Muth, who doesn’t live in the district, has been instrumental in the effort, acting as the registered agent for a political action committee formed in late December to explore the possibility of a recall.

Residents within Hambrick’s district are putting muscle toward the effort. A.J. Maimbourg said that 60 volunteers have signed on to help with the effort and that phone calls to registered voters will start today. When voters agree to sign, volunteers will drive over to collect the signatures.

“We have the legal recourse, and we do not have to settle for these politicians who have lied to us with pre-campaign promises,” Maimbourg said.

They point to a taxpayer protection pledge Hambrick signed in 2010 that states, “I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.”

No tax votes have come up in the 2015 legislative session, but Muth said the pledge promised opposing — not just a vote.

Hambrick declined comment on the recall petition. He said he is aware of it. “I’m not going to comment,” he said.

“We have the people’s business to do up here,” he said, adding that he just has to “have faith in my constituents.

“That’s all I can do,” he said.

Hambrick was first elected to the Assembly District 2 seat in 2008. He was elected speaker this session.

No Nevada legislator has ever been recalled. Recall supporters acknowledge that success won’t come easily.

“It’s an uphill battle,” said Muth, wearing a shirt that reads: “Eat. Sleep. Cut taxes. Repeat.”

“It’s David versus Goliath. We’ve got a shot, but it’s a long shot.”

Maimbourg was on the ballot against Hambrick in November as an Independent American Party candidate. She said she is not running in the recall election, and the recall group soon will announce an alternative candidate to replace Hambrick.

The petitioners also want to put other elected officials on notice.

“We’re also sending a message to our politicians,” she said. “You could be next.”

The law allows the recall organizers up to 90 days to collect the signatures.

If the recall group’s candidate files to run, registered voters in the district who voted in 2014 would have two options. They could sign a petition in support of a recall election for Hambrick. Or, they could sign in support of having a recall election and putting the alternative candidate on the ballot.

To get on the recall election ballot, candidates also would need at least 4,116 signatures. If a recall election happened without an alternate candidate, then the all-Democratic Clark County Commission would pick a Republican replacement if voters ousted Hambrick.

There is no set date for the recall election, which would be scheduled as a special election only after elections officials verified signatures.

A recall effort could be made against Assemblyman Chris Edwards, R-Las Vegas. A separate political action committee, Recall Edwards PAC, is exploring that possibility, saying Edwards won’t take a public stand on Sandoval’s proposed tax increase despite voicing opposition to hiking taxes while campaigning.

Muth was initially the registered agent for that committee, but he is no longer listed.

PAC director David Ballweg of Mesquite said no decision has been made yet about starting an Edwards recall effort.

He said it’s a complex decision now that there is an extortion criminal investigation involving Edwards.

Edwards went to Las Vegas police in December, alleging he was the victim of an attempted extortion to make him change his vote for Assembly speaker.

Police have executed two search warrants in the past two weeks but have not arrested or charged anyone with crimes in the case. One search warrant was executed at the Las Vegas residence of Rob Lauer, a veterans advocate and political activist, and the other warrant at the Virginia home of Tony Dane, a GOP activist.

Review-Journal writer Sandra Chereb contributed to this report.