Thread: Dennis Hof, brothel owner and pimp, wins Nevada GOP primary

Dennis Hof, brothel owner and pimp, wins Nevada GOP primary

Politics Jun 13, 2018 11:33 AM EDT

LAS VEGAS — Pimp Dennis Hof, the owner of half a dozen legal brothels in Nevada and star of the HBO adult reality series “Cathouse,” won a Republican primary for the state Legislature on Tuesday, ousting a three-term lawmaker.

Hof defeated hospital executive James Oscarson.

He’ll face Democrat Lesia Romanov in November, and will be the favored candidate in the Republican-leaning Assembly district.

Hof celebrated his win at a party in Pahrump with Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss at his side.

“It’s all because Donald Trump was the Christopher Columbus for me,” Hof told the Associated Press in a phone call. “He found the way and I jumped on it.”

Hof, who wrote a book titled “The Art of the Pimp,” has dubbed himself “The Trump of Pahrump,” and held a rally with longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone.

Hof was in the limelight in 2015, when former NBA player Lamar Odom was found unconscious at Hof’s Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada, after a four-day, $75,000 stay.

“It’s all because Donald Trump was the Christopher Columbus for me,” Hof told AP. “He found the way and I jumped on it.”

If Hof wins in November, he wouldn’t be the only brothel owner in elected office — Lance Gilman, the owner of the famous Mustang Ranch in northern Nevada, is a Storey County Commissioner.

Voters in November will be voting on closing down brothels at least one of the seven Nevada counties where they’re legally operating. The question will be on the ballot in Lyon County, where Hof owns four brothels. Activists are also gathering signatures to try to get to get measure on the ballot in Nye County, where Hof owns two more brothels in the desert outside the city of Pahrump.

He painted the anti-brothel efforts as political retribution that’s tied to his opponent, but Oscarson and the referendum backers deny any connection.

Most brothels operate in rural areas of Nevada.

They’re banned in the counties that contain Las Vegas and Reno.

Hof said Tuesday he’s downsizing his business by selling off some brothels to focus more on politics.

Oscarson and Hof previously faced off in 2016 when Hof ran for the seat as a Libertarian. Oscarson won with 60 percent of the vote.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politic...da-gop-primary

In age of Trump, evangelicals back self-styled top U.S. pimp

By Tim Reid
,Reuters•June 22, 2018

PAHRUMP, Nev. (Reuters) - He styles himself as America's best-known pimp, a strip-club owner who runs multiple brothels and looks set to win a seat as a Republican in the Nevada legislature with the blessing of many conservative Christian voters.

Meet Dennis Hof, whose political rise reflects fundamental changes in electoral norms that have roiled the Republican Party and upended American politics during the era of President Donald Trump.

“This really is the Trump movement,” Hof, 71, told Reuters in an interview at Moonlite BunnyRanch, his brothel near Carson City in northern Nevada that was featured on the HBO reality television series "Cathouse."

“People will set aside for a moment their moral beliefs, their religious beliefs, to get somebody that is honest in office," he said. "Trump is the trailblazer, he is the Christopher Columbus of honest politics."

When news broke that Hof had won the nominating contest for a state Assembly seat on June 12, evangelical pastor Victor Fuentes said he closed his eyes and prayed.

He did not ask God to deliver Nevada and the Republican Party from Hof, the thrice-divorced author of "The Art of the Pimp" who campaigned as the "Trump of Pahrump."

Although Christian groups have long rallied against the state’s legal brothel industry, Fuentes was willing to overlook Hof’s history as a champion of the flesh trade and gave thanks for his victory.

"People want to know how an evangelical can support a self-proclaimed pimp,” Fuentes said in an interview at his home in Pahrump, an unincorporated town of 36,000 people that is the largest community in the sprawling, rural district where Hof is favored to win in November's general election.

He said the reason was simple. “We have politicians, they might speak good words, not sleep with prostitutes, be a good neighbor. But by their decisions, they have evil in their heart.

Dennis Hof is not like that."

The pastor said he felt Hof would protect religious rights, among other things.

In Hof's Republican-leaning district, seven evangelicals said they voted for him because they believed that he, who like Trump is a wealthy businessman and political outsider, would also clean up politics and not be beholden to special-interest groups and their money.

"I’m kind of rich, I’m kind of famous, and I’m surrounded by hot chicks. I don’t give a damn what anybody says about me," Hof said.

The source of Hof's wealth - he owns a strip club and five legal brothels - did not deter his supporters.

Nor did the allegations by several women that Hof sexually abused them. Hof denied the accusations, including a former sex worker's claim that he raped and choked her several years ago, and the voters interviewed by Reuters dismissed them as lies.

Hof was reluctant to discuss his own Christian faith.

"I don't share my beliefs with the public," he said. "I don't feel the need to go to church on a regular basis."

LOSING FAITH IN ESTABLISHMENT

For decades, evangelical voters have been a pillar of the Republican Party in the United States, using grassroots muscle to turn out votes and engage in political battles over hot-button social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

But in recent years, many conservative Christians have lost trust in establishment Republicans, whom they accuse of not fighting for values they feel are under attack in modern America.

For them, Trump symbolizes a new breed of politician who is willing to upend long-held political norms — a quality they say outweighs any real or perceived moral flaws.

"It’s more important for evangelical voters that Trump is fighting for an idealized, white Christian, conservative America," said Dan Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan organization that researches the intersection of religion, culture and public policy. "Tribal values now supersede personal morality as an animating force."

Convinced Trump would go to bat for them, a majority of evangelicals looked past the Republican's two divorces and allegations of marital infidelity to provide him key votes in the 2016 presidential election.

Their support remains robust: 71 percent of white evangelical voters said they approved of Trump's job performance, according to the nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted online from June 1-18, compared with 43 percent of U.S. registered voters overall.

TRUMP THE TORCHBEARER
Hof beat a three-term incumbent legislator even as party activists pushed to get Hof's legal brothels shut down. Voters in Lyon County, where he operates four of his brothels, will be asked in November if they want the businesses closed.

Brothels have been permitted in parts of Nevada since the 1800s and were first licensed in the 1970s. They are not permitted in highly populated areas, including the counties containing the cities of Las Vegas and Reno.

Voter Debbie Thomas said she signed the petition to shutter brothels but also backed Hof, who campaigned on issues including repealing Nevada’s commerce tax, protecting gun rights, improving education and protecting residents' water rights against the federal government.

Hof has gotten a mixed reception from Republican leaders. The chairman of the state party said it welcomed "fiscal conservatives" such as Hof. But Brian Sandoval, Nevada’s Republican governor, Dean Heller, the state's vulnerable Republican U.S. senator up for re-election this autumn, and much of the party establishment have not endorsed him.

No matter, said Hof. He credits Trump as the torchbearer for a new era of Republican, eager to embrace the support of the religious right, eschew the establishment and break the mold of a traditional candidate.

Trump has not weighed in on the race. But Hof held a rally with former Trump adviser Roger Stone and said he would not be in a position to win the district without the president's transformation of the party.

Some conservative Christian voters, however, were quick to note that their affinity for Trump did not extend to Hof.

Paul Goulet, a pastor who leads the International Church of Las Vegas, a megachurch, said he was disappointed the brothel owner had earned a spot on the general election ballot.

“For me, it goes back to faith and values," Goulet said in a telephone interview. "Hof has a profession making money out of young women who sell their bodies for sexual favors. It’s demeaning to women. I can’t wrap my brain around supporting someone who does that."

Others were willing to set aside the morality test of the past to back Hof.

Robert Thomas, a retired prosecutor and evangelical who along with his wife, Debbie, voted for Hof, said Hof's brothels "bother me a lot" but that he was willing to overlook them.

“Dennis Hof seems to me to be a man of his word and he does what he says,” Thomas said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/age-trump...112721399.html

I'm wondering where the mass outrage of good wholesome Americans are against this man's career choice.

Ain't a damn thing changed...

Dennis Hof, Nevada brothel owner, dead at 72

By Mariah Haas, Julius Young | Fox News

Dennis Hof, Nevada brothel owner, dead at 72

Nevada's infamous Bunny Ranch owner and HBO's 'Cathouse' star Dennis Hof has died at the age of 72.

Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof, a legal pimp who gained notoriety for an HBO series about his business, has died, Fox News has learned. He was 72.

"We received a 911 dispatch call around 11 a.m. for an unresponsive male and when officers arrived at the scene, the patient, Dennis Hof, was located deceased. Foul play is not suspected," the Nye County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant David Boruchowitz told Fox News on Tuesday.

He declined to say where on the property Hof was found and said people at the business were being questioned.

Boruchowitz added that autopsies "are usually performed the next day."

"I don't see any reason why this one would be different," he noted.


In this June 26, 2008, file photo, owner Dennis Hof poses with some of his "working girls" in the parlor of his Moonlite BunnyRanch in Mound House, east of Carson City, Nev. (AP)


The brothel owner had recently fashioned himself as a Donald Trump-style Republican candidate for the state Legislature.

Political activist Chuck Muth confirmed the news as well on Tuesday tweeting: "I just confirmed with Nye County sheriff’s deputy that Dennis Hof passed away this morning. No other details at this point. I’m heading out to Love Ranch Vegas now. Official statement will come once I learn more."

Chuck Muth@ChuckMuth


I just confirmed with Nye County sheriff’s deputy that Dennis Hof passed away this morning. No other details at this point. I’m heading out to Love Ranch Vegas now. Official statement will come once I learn more.

11:37 AM - Oct 16, 2018

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Hof, who turned 72 on Sunday, was the Republican candidate this year in a heavily GOP state legislative district. Ballots have already been printed in the race and it wasn't immediately clear how elections officials would handle Hof's death.

Hof owned a handful of brothels in Nevada, the only state that allows them to legally operate.

His Love Ranch brothel is where NBA player Lamar Odom was found unconscious in 2015.


In this June 12, 2018, file photo, Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof, second from right, celebrates with Heidi Fleiss, right, and others after winning the primary election in Pahrump, Nev. (AP)


The brothel was temporarily shuttered twice this year by regulators who said Hof had failed to renew licenses and get proper permits for renovations.

About 20 brothels operate in Nevada, mostly in rural areas. The state doesn't publicize how many are open, and most owners keep a much lower profile than Hof.

In addition to his legislative campaign, Hof faced a push to outlaw brothels and had problems with local regulators in the two counties where he runs the licensed bordellos.

Hof had also been accused of sexual assault on at least four occasions. The Nevada Department of Public Safety says it is investigating an allegation made in September but has released few details.

Hof had denied any wrongdoing.

The flamboyant pimp starred in the HBO adult reality series "Cathouse" and wrote a book titled "The Art of the Pimp," a play on Trump's book "The Art of the Deal."

Hof ran for office in 2016 as a Libertarian but lost the race.


In this March 25, 2007, file photo, Moonlite Bunnyranch brothel owner Dennis Hof poses with two of his "working girls" Brooke Taylor, left, and a woman working under the name "Airforce Amy", right, as firefighters burn down remains of the former Mustang Ranch 2 brothel east of Reno, Nev. (AP)


This year, he ran as a Republican and earned backing from Trump associate Roger Stone and tax-cut activist Grover Norquist.

He upended Nevada politics this summer when he ousted an incumbent Republican lawmaker in a primary, celebrating at an election night party with "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss.

He said the anti-brothel push and regulatory problems he's faced this year were political retribution.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...ner-dead-at-72

Dennis Hof will still be on the ballot this November. What if he wins his election?

James DeHaven, Reno Gazette Journal Published 2:18 p.m. PT Oct. 16, 2018 | Updated 4:14 p.m. PT Oct. 16, 2018

Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof has died. See excerpts from a RGJ video interview from 2015 in which he discusses running or the U.S. Senate. Jason Bean, RGJ


(Photo: Lisa J. Tolde)


Dennis Hof upended Nevada politics this summer when he ousted an incumbent state lawmaker in a GOP primary for a Southern Nevada Assembly seat.

But following his death, the political ramifications remain unclear.

His name will still appear on general election ballots in November, though signs will be placed at all Assembly District 36 polling places to notify voters of Hof's death.

If Hof still secures the most votes in the heavily Republican district, the seat would be considered vacant and in need of an appointed representative.

MORE: Dennis Hof, Nevada's bombastic legal pimp and Assembly candidate, has died

State law says that vacancies in legislative districts that span multiple counties, like District 36, will be filled via a convoluted joint meeting process headed by county commissioners — in this case, county leaders from Nye, Lincoln and Clark counties. Hof's appointed replacement would also have to be a fellow Republican who resides in the district.

Hof's campaign opponent, Democratic nominee Lesia Romanov, did not immediately return requests for comment.

Beyond the Bunny Ranch: Beyond the Bunny Ranch: Who was Dennis Hof?

Gov. Brian Sandoval relayed his sympathies in a brief statement on Tuesday afternoon.

"Governor Sandoval extends his condolences to Mr. Hof’s family and friends," wrote Mary-Sarah Kinner, a spokeswoman for the term-limited Republican governor.

The Nevada Assembly Republican Caucus — which opted not to support Hof in the wake of his June primary victory over incumbent Assemblyman James Oscarson, R-Pahrump — said in a brief statement it was saddened to hear of Hof's death.

MORE: Dennis Hof encountered a number of celebrities, including Bill Clinton and Lamar Odom

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this challenging time," wrote Eric Roberts, the caucus' executive director.

Oscarson, reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, also offered his thoughts and prayers to Hof's family.

He said it was "premature to even think about" the possibility of being appointed to again represent his home district.

Hof’s summer victory over Oscarson ended a particularly nasty, nationally watched primary campaign that featured billboard-sized attack ads, a defamation suit and more than one allegation of sexual misconduct levied at the self-described "Trump of Pahrump." The victory also avenged Hof’s lopsided loss to Oscarson in 2016’s primary race.

Minutes after this year's primary results were announced, Democrats and other Hof opponents took to social media with calls for Republicans further up November’s general election ballot to renounce, or at least not endorse Hof.

Attorney General Adam Laxalt, Gov. Brian Sandoval, lieutenant governor candidate Michael Roberson, attorney general hopeful Wes Duncan and U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., each split with Hof in the days after his nomination.

Assemblywoman Jill Tolles also denounced the candidate on Twitter.

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/polit...ns/1663621002/

Dead Republican brothel owner wins election in Nevada