Washington, D.C. native Adam Laxalt released a desperate new ad today on Nevada’s sexual assault kit backlog. Laxalt, who has spent the last few months avoiding questions about an alleged rapist supporter of his, has based his campaign on his office’s supposed efforts at reducing Nevada’s sexual assault kit backlog. But what you don’t hear in Laxalt’s latest special interest-bankrolled attack ad is Laxalt’s office has incompetently struggled to meet their own deadlines for ending the rape kit backlog.
Laxalt’s office quietly pushed back the deadline by months because they weren’t able to meet it. In 2016, Laxalt’s office said testing of the rape kits would be completed by December 2018. A January 2018 report, however, noted that all kits collected prior to 2015 would be tested by the end of 2019. This significant delay was confirmed in an August 2018 report from Laxalt’s office. Since Laxalt took office, only 4,871 ot the 7,645 rape kits have been tested.
“After shuttering an attempted investigation into the allegations of sexual assault against his friend and campaign buddy, Adam Laxalt is now failing to fulfill his promise to end the sexual assault kit backlog,” said American Bridge spokesperson Zach Hudson. “If Adam Laxalt wants to make the rape kit backlog a central issue of the campaign, perhaps he should spend more time actually working to end it, and less time exonerating friends who have been accused of sexual assault.”
Background:
2016: Laxalt’s Office Said Testing Would Be Completed By December 2018
2016: A Spokesperson For Laxalt’s Office Said The Attorney General Expected Testing To Be Completed By December, 2018. According to News 4 & Fox 11, “Laxalt said the funding will be allocated toward finding ways to address the backlog of more than 7,500 untested kits, some of which are 30 years old. Moazez says the working group is expected to have all the kits tested by December of 2018.” [News 4 & Fox 11, 5/31/16]
January 2018 Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Report Indicated That Kits Would Not Be Completed Testing Until December 2019.
A January 2018 Report, However, Noted That All Kits Collected Prior To 2015 Would Be Tested By The End Of 2019. According to the Office of Nevada Attorney General’s Semiannual Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Report, “The reduction in the number of untested kits is being addressed through Nevada’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, in addition to assistance from the FBI, funding from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the National Institute for Justice, and settlement funding from the OAG. All SAKs in law enforcement evidence vaults from prior to January 2015 are scheduled to be tested in or before the end of 2019.” [Office of Nevada Attorney General, Semiannual Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Report, 1/30/18]
The Later Deadline Was Confirmed In The Most Recent Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Report
An August 2018 Report Confirmed The Pushed-Back Deadline Of The End Of 2019. According to the Semiannual Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Report, “The reduction in the number of untested kits is being addressed through Nevada’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, in addition to assistance from the FBI, funding from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the National Institute for Justice, and settlement funding from the OAG. All known sexual assault kits in law enforcement evidence vaults from prior to January 2015 are scheduled to be tested in or before the end of 2019.” [Office of Nevada Attorney General, Semiannual Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Report, 8/1/18]
THREE AND A HALF YEARS AFTER LAXALT TOOK OFFICE, ONLY 4,871 OF THE 7,645 KITS HAD BEEN TESTED.
As Of August 2018, 4,871 Of The Inventoried 7,645 Backlogged Kits Had Been Tested.
[EndNevadasBacklog.Ag.Nv.Gov, Accessed 8/20/18]
Published: Aug 20, 2018