Frederick Harvey Whittemore[1] (born August 17, 1952) is an American lawyer and businessman in the Reno, Nevada area.
[2] As an influential lobbyist[3] for the gambling, alcohol and tobacco industries, and for his own ventures,[4][5] Whittemore was called "one of Nevada's most powerful men.
[10][11] Whittemore's close relationship with Senator Harry Reid came under scrutiny because of perceived legislative and political pressure favors allowing Coyote Springs to overcome regulatory problems.
[3][17][18] His influence was diminished when the legality of his campaign contributions were scrutinized in 2012 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, leading the Las Vegas Review-Journal to write that he was "now a pariah.
A federal easement for utilities was also present, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would not allow building due to the presence of stream beds in the area.
Journalists and advocacy groups questioned whether Whittemore's personal and financial relationships with political figures, particularly Senate majority leader Harry Reid, affected these developments.
[6] Whittemore was reportedly one of Reid's closest friends,[13] and both men have characterized their relationship as close and decades long.
[4] Reid stated that he was unaware of the illegalities, noting that Whittemore's contributions were only a small portion of his war chest.
Environmental groups, who initially supported the bill because of accompanying protection of mountainous areas, now say they regret their actions.
The Western Lands Project and the Nevada Outdoor Recreation Association stated that the government had unlawfully exchanged almost 10,000 acres (40 km2) of protected desert tortoise sanctuary for property owned by Whittemore himself.
The advocacy groups questioned the role of Whittemore's political allies in this decision and sought a restraining order.
[28] Whittemore responded to the filing by stating that neither Senator Reid nor his son Leif had affected the decision,[4] and, along with the BLM, requested dismissal of the suit.
[4] Environmentalists, residents of Utah and California and local ranchers fear negative consequences of Coyote Springs water usage, summarized by Las Vegas investigative reporter George Knapp as "pumping water in the teeth of a drought for golf courses.
Bloomberg notes that Harry Reid's son Rory is an employee of Whittemore's law firm and was the vice-chairman of the Southern Nevada Water Authority from 2003 to 2008.
[10] However, an opinion piece in the Las Vegas Review-Journal states that Rory Reid, who is also the Clark County Commission chairman, "bows out of all discussions and actions" related to Coyote Springs.
[20] The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group, announced plans in 2009 to sue the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
The center expressed concern about the environmental impact of agreements of the agencies and Whittemore's company, contending that the Coyote Springs development and loss of water resources and habitat would harm the desert tortoise and potentially hasten the extinction of the moapa dace, both endangered species.
[22] In 2007, Judicial Watch, a politically conservative watchdog group, sued the BLM for documents related to Coyote Springs.
Brad Mamer, right-hand man to Whittemore, said that under the new management, changes were made to Coyote Springs golf course without proper permits.
[32] A week later, Whittemore countered with a lawsuit asking for $1.8 billion in damages from the Seenos who he said were involved in extortion, grand larceny and racketeering.
The Whittemores contributed and raised funds for the institute in response to what they felt was a lack of action on chronic fatigue syndrome from the federal government.