Looks as if newly minted Attorney General Adam Laxalt went rogue Monday in joining a lawsuit against the president's executive order on immigration. Despite the issue's huge profile, the new AG did not talk to Gov. Brian Sandoval, without whom he probably would not be in office.
"Laxalt joined this lawsuit without the Governor’s consent or agreement," a knowledgeable source told me. Uh oh.
Laxalt's office confirmed that lawyers from both offices (AG and governor) chatted. But does it seem incredible to anyone else that the General would not talk to the Governor, who is now being pummeled, too, before joining the suit?
Laxalt, who fulminated about federal overreach during his campaign, declared in a statement:
“Our immigration system is broken and clearly needs to be fixed. But just as clearly, the solution is not for the President to act unilaterally disregarding the U.S. Constitution and laws. The solution must be a permanent, legal result that includes, not ignores, the other branches of government and their constitutional roles. Anything less is a false hope undermining the rule of law that injures millions of people in America, including many in Nevada.
“As Nevada’s chief legal officer, I am directed by Nevada’s Constitution and laws to take legal action whenever necessary ‘to protect and secure the interest of the State. Unfortunately, just as a majority of our sister states have concluded, it is necessary to challenge the President’s unilateral action to protect the rule of law and ensure that sweeping federal requirements that directly impact Nevada have been properly enacted. The President cannot bypass the peoples’ elected representatives in Congress just because they do not pass the laws he wants, nor can he simply rewrite current law under the guise of ‘prosecutorial discretion’.”
Sandoval begged to differ, via his spokeswoman:
"Governor Sandoval’s position on President Obama's executive order has not changed since his announcement in November. He believes our immigration system is broken and it is without question that comprehensive reform is necessary. Governor Sandoval continues to encourage Congressional Leadership and President Obama to work toward passing a bipartisan solution. He continues to believe that the best course of action is a legislative solution rather than legal action.”
I have been joking since the election that Laxalt would start willy nilly suing the federal government. But this train derailed even earlier than I would have guessed.
And I doubt the General is done yet. That presages trouble. For Sandoval.
I smell trouble brewing.
Looks as if newly minted Attorney General Adam Laxalt went rogue Monday in joining a lawsuit against the president's executive order on immigration. Despite the issue's huge profile, the new AG did not talk to Gov. Brian Sandoval, without whom he probably would not be in office.
"Laxalt joined this lawsuit without the Governor’s consent or agreement," a knowledgeable source told me. Uh oh.
Laxalt's office confirmed that lawyers from both offices (AG and governor) chatted. But does it seem incredible to anyone else that the General would not talk to the Governor, who is now being pummeled, too, before joining the suit?
Laxalt, who fulminated about federal overreach during his campaign, declared in a statement:
“Our immigration system is broken and clearly needs to be fixed. But just as clearly, the solution is not for the President to act unilaterally disregarding the U.S. Constitution and laws. The solution must be a permanent, legal result that includes, not ignores, the other branches of government and their constitutional roles. Anything less is a false hope undermining the rule of law that injures millions of people in America, including many in Nevada.
“As Nevada’s chief legal officer, I am directed by Nevada’s Constitution and laws to take legal action whenever necessary ‘to protect and secure the interest of the State. Unfortunately, just as a majority of our sister states have concluded, it is necessary to challenge the President’s unilateral action to protect the rule of law and ensure that sweeping federal requirements that directly impact Nevada have been properly enacted. The President cannot bypass the peoples’ elected representatives in Congress just because they do not pass the laws he wants, nor can he simply rewrite current law under the guise of ‘prosecutorial discretion’.”
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