Nevada

NV State Candidate Accused Of Bribing Rape Victim's Sister

Rachel Slajda | May 28, 2010, 2:02PM

State Sen. Dennis Nolan and challenger Elizabeth Halseth

In the Nevada state senate's ninth district race, the Republican primary is getting brutal, with allegations of bribery, defending child rapists and insanity.

The back story: The incumbent, state Sen. Dennis Nolan, in 2008 testified as a character witness in defense of his friend, Gordon Lawes. Lawes was on trial for raping his 16-year-old sister-in-law. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Now, Nolan's primary challenger, Elizabeth Halseth, is using that testimony against him. She ran radio ads all last week in which the victim's father accuses Nolan of "defending child rapists."

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