The election season never fails to bring its share of awkward moments. One that occurred at the annual Nye County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 28 in Pahrump qualifies as a doozy.

Just little more than a week before former Nye County commissioner and current county Republican Party Chairman Leo Blundo was indicted for allegedly bilking the government out of $500,000 in COVID relief funds, he had the honor of introducing Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo to the enthusiastic crowd. The approbation for Lombardo wafted like flea-market Paco Rabanne as Blundo reminded all present of the unbreakable bonds of friendship he shared with the state's top Republican.

In part: "It's my honor tonight to introduce not just the governor of the great state of Nevada, but a man I'm proud to call a dear friend, Joe Lombardo. Now in politics people throw around the word friend. Friend, friend, you know, you're my friend. Pretty loosely. Friendship is built on trust. It's built on loyalty. It's built on showing up when it matters, and not when it's convenient. I'll tell you one thing, Joe Lombardo shows up … The party is 100 percent behind this man, Joe Lombardo."

Sure it is. Lombardo, the former Clark County sheriff and career lawman, managed not to blush as he accepted a hearty handshake and brief bro hug from the master of ceremonies who has left a slug trail of questionable behavior in Nye County for years.

Blundo was indicted March 11 by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas on five felony counts alleging that from March 2020 to September 2021 he fraudulently received more than $500,000 in COVID-19 relief funds on behalf of his Pahrump restaurant, Carmelo's Bistro. It's alleged that Blundo submitted false applications that included inflating his restaurant's gross revenues, average monthly payroll and number of employees. He faces five counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering in a case investigated by the FBI as part of the District of Nevada Public Corruption Strike Force.

In a strongly worded statement, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto said, "Fraud will not be tolerated in our community — regardless of the position or identity of those involved."

Which is good to know.

But let's just say it took the federal cavalry a long time to ride to the rescue on this one. Blundo's outrageous behavior was known to many, reported often by The Indy and other press outlets, and tolerated in his community far too long.

He wasn't deterred after his harassment of county staff resulted in a March 2019 complaint that ended up before the Nevada Commission on Ethics. His conduct, the commission found, qualified for a deferral agreement. By September of that year, an ethics review panel concluded there was "credible evidence" he violated rules against using his position to benefit himself or his business. Blundo tried to write off the controversy as a "wrong choice of words."

By January 2020, he was back before the ethics commission in a dustup that ended with a "confidential letter of caution" placed in his growing file.

While on the Nye County Commission, Blundo's aggressive pursuit of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding manifested in forwarding motions and voting without disclosing his own efforts to secure funds for his business. His bullying of staff and attempts to intimidate County Manager Tim Sutton were followed by the administrator filing a complaint in November 2020 with the Nye County sheriff's office and the state ethics commission.

The case appeared headed for prosecution by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford's office, but he declined to pursue charges after what Blundo later crowed was a thorough investigation.

So, it appears Ford won't be using the Blundo bust in any campaign ads as he challenges Lombardo's incumbency. These days Ford is fielding an ethics complaint related to his far-flung travel schedule. Lombardo also has some experience before the ethics commission.

In July 2022, Blundo was charged with felony domestic battery after allegedly choking his wife after he discovered $77,000 in cash and a handgun missing from their home. The Nye County District Attorney's Office, which is also duty-bound to represent members of the county commission, sent the case to Esmeralda County, where it was dismissed after Blundo's wife declined to testify against him.

The debris field also includes his questionable dealings with Rich Kiran Saga, a former CEO of Silver State Health Services and real estate investor who, in May 2025, was indicted for embezzling more than $2 million in federal grant money intended to address indigent health care needs for Southern Nevadans. Blundo and his wife accepted fat campaign contributions from Saga and members of his shady circle.

Few people in Nye County administration absorbed more bullying than former Nye County Finance Director Savannah Ames, who also noted the length of time it's taken to indict the alleged fraudster.

"I was overwhelmed with a feeling of relief but also anger, because the justice came five years too late, and the damage was already done to me, my team, as well as many other Nye County employees and business owners," Ames says. "I have a massive feeling of relief and sadness. I did not get justice for the taxpayers of Nye County or the American taxpayer when he was a commissioner in Nye County making those decisions and violating all of those laws. But I am grateful he's getting some sort of justice. Hopefully, right?"

Right.

The Small Business Administration programs Blundo is alleged to have defrauded were intended to aid Americans during the pandemic, which took more than 1.2 million lives. The Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund brought needed relief, but also were exploited by fraudsters. With a first court appearance scheduled for March 24, Blundo faces up to 120 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1.75 million fine.

But let's keep these things in perspective. An indictment isn't evidence, and charges don't equate to conviction. In a party that continues to re-elect Michael McDonald as its state chairman despite his many controversies, Blundo is merely a suspected fraudster.

If he can beat the rap, he might have a real future in Nevada politics.

John L. Smith is an author and longtime columnist. He was born in Henderson and his family's Nevada roots go back to 1865. His stories have appeared in New Lines, Time, Reader's Digest, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Reuters and Desert Companion, among others.