RAW STORY Published: Monday August 21, 2006
A developer and lobbyist is set to build one of Nevada's biggest cities with the help of friend and US Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), according to a report in today's Los Angeles Times.
Coyote Springs Valley is being developed as a 43,000-acre project by Harvey Whittemore, a Nevada developer who has personal ties to Reid, the Senate Minority Leader.
According to the report, Whittemore has previously lobbied on behalf of Nevada's gambling, liquor and tobacco industries.
Excerpts from the registration-restricted article follow.
# Even now, as heavy equipment peels back the cactus and creosote bush to carve out roads and building sites, it's hard to believe that this 67-square-mile tract of empty desert will blossom into one of the biggest cities in the fastest-growing state in the country and the projected home to more than 200,000 people.
...
As the project advanced, Reid received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Whittemore. The contributions not only went to Reid's Senate campaigns, but also to his leadership fund, which he used to help bankroll the campaigns of Democratic colleagues.
...
Whittemore also helped advance the legal careers of two of Reid's four sons. One of the two, Leif Reid, who is Whittemore's personal lawyer, has represented the developer throughout the Coyote Springs project, including in negotiations with federal officials.
<http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/New_city_rising_in_desert_thanks_0821.htm l >
See Los Angeles Times article at <http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nevada20aug20,1,7084729.story?coll=la -headlines-business&track=crosspromo >
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