Billionaire Alex Meruelo, owner of the Grand Sierra Resort and Sahara Las Vegas casinos appears to be trying to unseat a county judge who has ruled against his companies in the past, reports the Nevada Independent.
Businesses associated with Meruelo have contributed a total of $110,000 to the campaign of Kathleen Sigurdson, a private practice attorney attempting to unseat incumbent Judge Elliott Sattler in Washoe County District Court. Sigurdson’s campaign has raised a total of $120,000 since the start of the year, the report said.
Sattler ruled against Meruelo’s interests in a longstanding legal fight between his Reno casino the Grand Sierra Resort and a group of condominium owners in the hotel.
A spokesman for Meruelo told the paper that the contributions came as the company was impressed with Sigurdson’s history and qualifications.
“We met Ms. Sigurdson after she filed to run, and were very impressed with her experience and believe she is the best fit for the bench,” GSR spokesman Andrew Diss said in an email. “We employ several thousand team members in Washoe County, so helping to elect qualified judges is an important responsibility to ensure our employees and their families are treated fairly in the court room.”
The contributions come during a complicated legal fight between the Grand Sierra Resort and a group of condominium owners in the hotel.
According to the Independent, the case alleges that the casino engaged in a “series of illegal and unethical business practices in an attempt to force appellants to sell their units.” Sattler ruled in favor of the condominium owners after the casino company allegedly refused to follow rules of procedure and other court orders.
Sattler ultimately granted $8 million in compensatory damages in mid-2014, before initially scheduling a hearing for additional punitive damages—which were never ultimately paid as the case was dismissed for technical issues. The case is still pending on appeal.
