A candidate for Nevada Supreme Court Justice is returning campaign contributions linked to a burgeoning scandal first reported by the Channel 8 I-Team.
Supreme Court candidate Judge Deborah Schumacher says she doesn't want anything to do with donations linked to a Las Vegas law firm. It's a complicated story, and Wednesday, Schumacher tried to simplify things so that her candidacy isn't harmed.
FBI Agents and Metro Detectives are looking into an odd set of circumstances concerning the Nevada Supreme Court.
The investigation began in July when Las Vegas attorney and Supreme Court candidate Kris Pickering alerted the FBI to a proposal delivered to her by her campaign manager, Gary Gray.
Pickering says Gray informed her that up to $200,000 would be put into the Supreme Court race, either for her or against her. Gray allegedly asked Pickering to sign a paper agreeing to recuse herself from any eminent domain cases that might come before the court involving the law firm of Laura Fitzsimons.
Pickering went to the FBI and an investigation was launched.
Law enforcement sources say neither Pickering nor her opponent Schumacher are targets of the investigation. However, Schumacher's campaign has announced it was returning a large campaign donation it received from Laura Fitzsimmons and her husband.
"I know that we returned money to herself and from her husband, and I believe it was $20,000 total -- $10,000 from her and $10,000 from her husband," said Schumacher's Campaign Manager Ronnie Council. "Our campaign never received any illegal contribution and we would never tolerate any type of impropriety or the mere appearance of it."
Judge Schumacher said she had no idea of any improprieties until she saw our report Tuesday night and that her campaign will not accept questionable donations.
She also emphasized that at no time was she approached to sign a letter regarding recusals, if she happens to be elected. Law enforcement sources say they agree with that.
The I-Team called Laura Fitzsimmons Tuesday to seek comment about the ongoing investigation, but she has yet to return the call.
Gray allegedly asked Pickering to sign a paper agreeing to recuse herself from any eminent domain cases that might come before the court involving the law firm of Laura Fitzsimons.
