The crisis in the Republican Party of Nevada was revealed in an audio recording of a meeting of local officials in the state's second-largest county.
"A secret recording at Washoe County Republican Party headquarters earlier this month reveals a serious divide about how to handle claims of election fraud ahead of November’s ballot," the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Friday.
In the recording, GOP Treasurer Sandra Linares warned Chair Bruce Parks that a focus on debunked claims of election fraud were harming donations.
“We’re hurting our candidates,” Linares said.
IN OTHER NEWS: 'Embarrassment to the Supreme Court': Alito faces backlash after taunting critics of his anti-abortion ruling
“Sometimes there’s collateral damage," Parks replied.
The GOP officials discussed Reno attorney Joey Gilbert, who lost the GOP nomination for governor to Joe Lomba, but has refused to concede. Gilbert is suing in a lawsuit backed by major donor Robert Beadles, who leads the county party's election integrity committee.
Party Secretary Carole Fineberg hoped parks could find someone to talk to the pair.
“Ask them, ‘Please don’t tear down the party," Fineberg said.
Parks replied, “The one thing I'm not going to do is tell my election integrity committee chair to stop. … I want him to fuel up his flamethrower and burn this son of a b*tch to the ground if he has to.”
Linares asked, “And whoever he takes with it?”
"Damn straight," the party chairman replied.
Treasurer Limares warned that approach would help re-elect incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak.
“This is why we’re not going to get Republicans elected in November,” Linares said. “If we don’t get Joey’s crew to vote for Lombardo, we’re gonna have Sisolak four more years.
Read the full report.
