Nevada Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola has received $22,500 in campaign contributions from the Nevada Resorts PAC and MGM Resorts International despite representing plaintiffs in lawsuits against their member properties.
Three cases have been dismissed, including one with prejudice. Marzola’s campaign donations include two contributions from the Nevada Resorts PAC totaling $15,000, received between October 2022 and November 2023, and $7,500 from MGM Resorts International, which owns or operates Mandalay Bay, New York-New York, and the Aria Resort & Casino.
The Nevada Resorts Association, which launched the Nevada Resorts PAC in January 2022, has had several member properties named in lawsuits where Marzola has served as legal counsel for plaintiffs. Since May 2022, Marzola has represented four plaintiffs in cases involving Wynn Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment, Mandalay Bay, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, and Aria Resort & Casino Holdings.
In one case, Marzola represented a plaintiff in a “slip & fall” lawsuit against Aria Resort & Casino Holdings and MGM Resorts International. Following a short trial discovery, Marzola accepted a donation from MGM.
The case was dismissed with prejudice on Tuesday, May 28, meaning that a court has made a final and absolute decision and that the plaintiff cannot refile the same claim in that court.
Adding to the controversy is the role of Ellen Whittemore, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Wynn Las Vegas, who serves as the Chair of the Board of the Nevada Resorts Association. The connection raises questions, as Whittemore’s company is a defendant in one of Marzola’s lawsuits, while the organization she leads has financially supported Marzola’s campaign.
The Nevada Bar Association noted that Marzola’s legal actions against properties tied to her campaign donors may create conflicts if not disclosed to her clients, impacting her ability to provide effective legal representation.
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