Reno, NV – Congressional Candidate Jill Derby today called for Dean Heller to pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign debt dating back to his first congressional race in 2006. According to a private complaint filed with the FEC and as reported by the Associated Press, Heller’s campaign currently owes more than $330,000 in debt to corporate interests in potential violation of federal regulations.
“At a time of economic crisis, we need a true fiscal conservative to end the Bush cycle of borrow-and-spend budgeting,” said Derby. “Dean Heller should practice the fiscal responsibility he preaches and pay off his debt.”
“While average Nevadans are struggling to make mortgage and credit card payments, Dean Heller is receiving deals on highly questionable loans from top Republican strategists,” said Derby Spokeswoman Kristen Cullen. “Not only is Heller’s debt fiscally irresponsible, but it also raises serious ethical and legal questions that need to be answered. Heller should pay off this debt and voluntarily submit his campaign to an audit by the Federal Election Commission.”
The FEC complaint alleges that Dean Heller’s campaign committee circumvented the FEC’s prohibition on corporate contributions to federal campaigns by maintaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to corporate vendors without interest or regular payments. The corporation known as November, Inc., and its subsidiaries, are owned by Michael and Lindsay Slanker, Political Director and Finance Director, respectively, at the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Heller’s campaign committee has more than enough in his campaign account to pay off this debt. At times he has had more than triple the amount of cash on hand than is owed.