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FACT BRIEF

Was the chair of the Nevada Democratic Party formally convicted of felony theft?

By Austin Tannenbaum
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
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NO

Judith Whitmer, who was elected chair of the Nevada Democratic Party in 2021, was charged with organized fraud and grand theft in 1996 for cashing between $750 and $5,000 worth of fraudulent checks in other peoples’ names from her employer. However, the first charge was thrown out, and after pleading no contest to the second charge, the judge withheld adjudication, meaning Whitmer was not formally convicted.

8 News Now, which broke the story, issued a correction clarifying this. The Las Vegas Review-Journal provided additional information after reviewing the court records.

In a written statement, Whitmer stated:
“As Democrats, we believe that neither poverty nor the challenges that come with it should disqualify anyone from anything. Like millions of Americans, I found myself in an impossible situation as a young woman but I’m proud to have emerged from those circumstances and built a better life.”

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Las Vegas Review-Journal Attacks on Whitmer continue as race for Democratic Party chair heats up
KLAS Nevada Democratic Party chair charged with felony theft in 1990s
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The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.