Harry Reid was busy running for reelection, and defeating his toughest opponent, way back in ’08.
Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, Republican, was considered the leading contender to run against Reid in 2010 for U.S. Senate until, in December 2008, he was indicted and charged “with two felony counts of misappropriation and falsification of accounts by a public officer, and two felony counts of misappropriation by a treasurer.” As State Treasurer Krolicki was audited in 2007 on a $3 billion dollar, state-run college savings program. No state funds were reported missing, but Krolicki was accused of ignoring state rules in spending and bypassing budgeting rules.
Many local Republicans found the timing of the indictment exceedingly convenient. Stop Krolicki in his tracks and blacken his name before he could even throw his hat in the ring.
Earlier this week Reid’s plans were thwarted when the Judge in Clark County District Court dismissed all charges. Not only is Krolicki free and clear, but the hopes of “Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto [who] has long been viewed as a rising star in the Nevada Democratic Party” are deeply damaged by her prosecution of a frivolous case. Reid’s hex bounced off the Republican and splatted right in the face of the Democrat.
Not only is Krolicki solidly running for reelection as Lt. Gov. but his senatorial ambitions may still be alive: Krolicki “did not rule out a potential run for U.S. Senate against Sen. Harry Reid.” Does he really mean that, or is he just looking to rub salt in Reid’s wounds? Lowden and Tarkanian already beat Reid in Nevada polling. If Krolicki’s name starts turning up in the polling Nevada Republicans begin to show a deep bench.
For the record, here’s Krolicki’s side of the charge that he misused state funds:
“The Krolicki investigation arose from a 2007 legislative audit into the Nevada College Savings Program, which was overseen by then-Treasurer Krolicki and his former Chief of Staff Kathy Besser. The audit found that $6 million cheap diet pills online earned through the program was not deposited in the state treasury. Instead, the money was used for legal costs and to market the state’s college savings program.”
“Krolicki’s attorneys said the state attorney general’s office advised him and his staff on managing the fund.”
Some of the marketing budget was for advertising that prominently featured Krolicki.
“Krolicki called the prosecution ‘an absurd gross waste of resources and energy and precious taxpayer dollars.’
“He pointed to countless government marketing programs that feature elected officials.
“Krolicki defended his management of the college savings program. ‘We did an exceedingly fine job with these programs. We created three of the top 10 programs in the country. We were helping people go to college … and balanced it to the penny.’”