Embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Continues To Stonewall National & Nevada Reporters Regarding Her Involvement In A Conflict Of Interest Scandal

Berkley Used Her Post To Help Her Husband Secure A $738,000-A-Year Contract   

Ten days ago, the New York Times reported that Congresswoman Shelley Berkley led the efforts to keep UMC’s Kidney Center open, which subsequently resulted in a $738,000-a-year contract from the hospital for her husband, Dr. Larry Lehrner.

The New York Times went on to reveal that Berkley clearly stood to gain financially from her work in Washington fighting for higher Medicare reimbursements for the Kidney care industry, because her husband’s medical practice happens to be the only clinic in Nevada that specializes in nephrology and he also operates a dozen dialysis centers in Nevada.

Additionally, the story outlines a timeline where, after Berkley began working on kidney related issues in Congress, her husband helped build a political action committee (Renal Physician PAC) and became the biggest contributor to the organization, while directing over $10,000 from the PAC to Berkley’s campaign.

Now after ten days since this story broke, Berkley continues to stonewall every reporter who inquires about her conflict of interest scandal.

Recently, two of Nevada’s most respected journalists Jon Ralston and Anjeanette Damon discussed this situation.

CLICK THE SCREENSHOT BELOW TO HEAR RALSTON & DAMON DISCUSS BERKLEY’S STONEWALL MEDIA STRATEGY  

JON RALSTON: “I think the real problem here beyond the substance that I just discussed Anjeanette is her stonewalling the New York Times, refusing to talk about this with the New York Times and now any media in the state.  I just think that makes it looks worse.” (Jon Ralston, To The Point With Anjeanette Damon, KSNV-Las Vegas, 09/10/11)

ANJEANETTE DAMON:  “That’s right she has declined an interview with you, with me, I don’t know maybe one of these days we will get her on the campaign trail.” (Anjeanette Damon, To The Point With Anjeanette Damon, KRNV-Reno, 09/10/11)

 JON RALSTON ALSO WROTE TODAY THAT BERKLEY’S WORK IN WASHINGTON WAS A BLATANT CONFLICT OF INTEREST

LAS VEGAS SUN:  For those who insist Rep. Shelley Berkley had a blatant conflict of interest in advocating for legislation that directly affected her pocketbook, you can’t ask for a better smoking gun than that. Case closed. (Jon Ralston, Berkley discloses conflict, but not smoothly, Las Vegas Sun, 09/14/11)