The Arizona land company active
in numerous controversial Las Vegas-area land swaps
during the last several years contributed about $13,000
to the re-election campaign of Nevada Congressman John
Ensign this February, Ensign confirmed Thursday. That was four months before
the Republican congressman called for a halt to all land
exchanges for Nevada.
Olympic Group Inc., the Scottsdale land firm, in April
also flew Ensign and his administrative assistant Mark
Emerson from Las Vegas to Reno on a company jet to look
at Lake Tahoe land the company was considering buying and
trading to the federal government.
Olympic contributions also went to Nevada Democrat
Senator 
Richard Bryan. Company president Garry Goett
and vice-president Guy Inzalaco both gave Bryan $1,000
donations in 1994, according to Bryan spokeswoman Karen
Kirchgasser.
Ensign said he saw nothing wrong with criticizing land
swaps after accepting campaign funds from a company
active in those swaps.
"If I were hypocritical, I would not call for
[congressional] hearings to look into these land
swaps," he said.