Shelley Berkley is on her “Prioritize Veterans Tour,” and as to be expected Berkley is making claims that have been debunked for months. Since Berkley’s days back at the Sands when she told her boss to do favors for elected officials, she has been willing to say or do anything to get what she wants. Playing politics with veteran’s issues that Factcheck.org said were false or scaring seniors with false statements that Republicans wanted to “kill” Medicare which was rated the “Lie of the Year” are just the latest examples of Berkley’s lackluster relationship with the truth. While Berkley is running around the state distorting realities and telling blatant lies there is probably one hard fact she doesn’t want you to know. Shelley Berkley is the only candidate in this race who is the subject of an ethics investigation.
On The House Floor, Berkley Said The Ryan Budget Would “Kill” Medicare. REP. SHELLEY BERKLEY: “I think the chairman for yielding, madam speaker I rise in strong opposition to both the Garrett substitute and the Ryan Budget. Today’s debate is about one thing: priorities. Should Nevada’s seniors be the priority for the united states congress or should wall street and big oil companies be the priority. The republican budget proposals answers that question very clearly instead of tackling Nevada’s record unemployment and foreclosure rates Washington Republicans are instead advocating to kill Medicare by turning it over to profit hungry insurance companies.” (YouTube, www.youtube.com, Accessed 4/16/12)
- PolitiFact Rated The Democrat’s Medicare Attacks On The Ryan Budget As The 2011 “Lie Of The Year.” “Republicans muscled a budget through the House of Representatives in April that they said would take an important step toward reducing the federal deficit. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the plan kept Medicare intact for people 55 or older, but dramatically changed the program for everyone else by privatizing it and providing government subsidies. Democrats pounced…PolitiFact debunked the Medicare charge in nine separate fact-checks rated False or Pants on Fire, most often in attacks leveled against Republican House members. Now, PolitiFact has chosen the Democrats’ claim as the 2011 Lie of the Year.” (Angie Drobnic Holan and Bill Adair, “PolitiFact’s 2011 Lie Of The Year Is Democrats’ Claim On Medicare,” PolitiFact.com, 12/20/11)
Berkley Claimed That Heller Voted Against Veterans Because He Voted For A Continuing Resolution That Cut Funding For Homeless Veterans. “Although she never uttered the word, ‘Heller,’ Berkley said ‘yes’ when asked after her speech if Heller was among those in Washington, D.C., who votes against veterans issues. When later prodded by a gaggle of TV reporters to mention a specific vote against veterans by Heller, Berkley said: ‘I’ll give you a specific example — the homeless veteran housing voucher program. I fought very hard to make sure that was created and adequately funded. He voted to dismantle the program, to end the program.’ Berkley’s campaign said Heller voted for a Republican continuing resolution that cut $75 million for homeless veterans in 2011, including the elimination of housing vouchers.” (Ray Hagar, “Shelley Berkley Sticks To Her Message In Effort To Unseat Nevada Sen. Dean Heller,” Reno Gazette Journal, 4/12/12)
- FactCheck.org Debunked This Claim Last April. “‘In fact, Dean Heller has a consistent record fighting to provide veterans with the benefits they earned and deserve. Any claim otherwise is just another distraction from the seven-term congresswoman’s record on jobs and the economy. After all, this isn’t the first time an independent fact checker has proven one of Shelley Berkley’s statements false.’ FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, wrote in April 2011 that Democrats who were saying the cuts would deny housing to 10,000 homeless veterans were exaggerating the impact of the GOP vote.” (Ray Hagar, “Shelley Berkley Sticks To Her Message In Effort To Unseat Nevada Sen. Dean Heller,” Reno Gazette Journal, 4/12/12)
Berkley Defended Her Advice To Adelson, Saying That This Was The Reality Of Doing Business In Las Vegas. “A tape recording emerged that featured Berkley talking about giving Adelson political advice. If he wanted his hotel project approved, she told him, he should do favors for commissioners, like giving jobs to their relatives. In company memos, she urged him to contribute to judges’ campaigns in exchange for favors. Berkley defended herself, saying she was just explaining the realities of doing business in Las Vegas and didn’t condone the way the system works.” (Molly Ball, “Calls Target Berkley, And She’s Pretty Sure Who’s Responsible,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/8/08)
Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington (CREW) Listed Berkley Under Their 2011 “Dishonorable Mentions.” (Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington, www.crewsmostcorrupt.org, Accessed 3/27/12)
In March 2012 The House Ethics Committee Announced It Was Reviewing Alleged Ethics Violations Of Rep. Berkley. “Reporting from Washington — The House Ethics Committee is conducting a review of a matter involving Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada, posing a potential challenge for the Las Vegas Democrat running for Senate this fall in a closely-watched race that could determine which party controls the chamber. The Ethics Committee acknowledged its work in a brief statement Friday as it said it would extend its inquiry into the matter that had been transmitted in February from the Office of Congressional Ethics. The committee did not disclose details and said the probe does not amount to a violation of ethics rules. It will have until July 9 to make public its findings.” (Lisa Mascaro, “Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley Under Ethics Review,” Los Angeles Times, 3/23/12)