A Nevada Political Lesson Comes Full Circle
Remember Michael Roberson? Nevada conservatives sure do. The former state Senate majority leader who championed the largest tax increase in Nevada’s history in 2015 now runs a controversial petition company that’s making headlines in Missouri for all the wrong reasons.
Roberson’s Advanced Micro Targeting (AMT) is facing serious allegations from Missouri’s Attorney General Catherine Hanaway. Last week, Hanaway announced she’s investigating the company for employing illegal immigrants and has referred the matter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The company is gathering signatures for a referendum on Missouri’s new congressional map, but opponents are crying foul.
From Tax Hike Champion to Petition Profiteer
Here’s what makes this story especially rich for Nevada conservatives. Back in 2015, Roberson promised voters he wouldn’t raise taxes. He even signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge in 2010, committing to oppose all tax increases. Then he turned around and shepherded then-Governor Brian Sandoval’s $1.1 billion tax package through the Republican-controlled Legislature.
The betrayal didn’t go unnoticed. Roberson lost his 2016 congressional race when primary voters hammered him over his tax hike support. He tried running for lieutenant governor in 2018 and lost again. The man who gave us “Tax Hike Mike” as a nickname became politically radioactive in Nevada.
Now Roberson runs AMT as the CEO and Chief Legal Officer from his Las Vegas office, collecting signatures for ballot initiatives across the country. But his company’s tactics keep raising eyebrows.
A Pattern of Questionable Practices
AMT’s troubles aren’t new. In Nevada back in 2022, the company was caught on video allegedly committing what one political lawyer called “probably multiple felonies” while gathering signatures for the open primary initiative. Videos showed AMT workers telling people they could sign for their spouses and misleading voters about what the petition would do.
The company’s response? They called it entrapment and dismissed the evidence as:
“a difficult-to-decipher, low-quality video.”
Sound familiar? That’s similar to what they’re saying now about the Missouri allegations.
Union Money and Liberal Causes
Here’s where it gets interesting for conservatives.
AMT has worked extensively with liberal causes and unions. The Clark County Education Association – Nevada’s largest teachers union – contributed $250,000 through its Strategic Horizons PAC to the open primary/ ranked choice voting initiative that AMT was pushing in 2022. That same initiative was bankrolled by out-of-state millionaires trying to change how Nevada runs elections.
The teachers’ union and AMT have quite a history together. Strategic Horizons PAC, established by the union, has been a major player in Nevada politics, and AMT has been its go-to signature-gathering firm. Remember, this is the same union that’s consistently pushed for higher taxes and bigger government spending on education.
Missouri’s Turn to Face AMT
Now, Missouri is dealing with AMT’s controversial tactics.
A federal lawsuit filed last week alleges competing firms are offering AMT employees up to $30,000 to stop working and provide “intelligence gathering” services about the petition campaign. The drama surrounding the redistricting referendum has Missouri Republicans furious.
Billy Rogers, AMT’s president and Roberson’s business partner, insists the allegations are false. He claims the company uses E-Verify and conducts extensive background checks.
But Attorney General Hanaway isn’t buying it. She’s even suggested the company is:
“creating an environment for exploitation and human trafficking to thrive”.
The Nevada Connection Nobody’s Talking About
What’s particularly galling for Nevada conservatives is how Roberson destroyed the Republican majority with his tax betrayal. After passing that massive tax increase in 2015, multiple GOP legislators either quit, lost primaries, or were defeated in general elections. The Republican majority in both chambers evaporated, and Democrats have controlled the Legislature ever since.
Think about that. The man who helped Democrats take control of Nevada’s government now runs a company that’s helping liberal causes nationwide.
Whether it’s pushing open primary/ranked-choice voting schemes funded by out-of-state millionaires or working on redistricting efforts, AMT seems to pop up wherever establishment forces want to change election rules.
What This Means for Conservatives
The Missouri controversy shows that Roberson’s company continues operating in the shadows of American politics, gathering signatures for causes that often run counter to conservative principles.
Missouri conservatives should take note of what happened in Nevada. When politicians betray their promises and work with liberal interests, voters remember. Roberson learned that lesson the hard way when Nevada Republicans rejected him repeatedly at the ballot box.
The bigger question is why any conservative cause would hire AMT given Roberson’s history. This is a company run by someone who betrayed Nevada taxpayers, destroyed the Republican majority, and now makes money helping liberal causes change election laws through open primary/ranked-choice voting initiatives and other schemes.
Looking Ahead
Missouri’s investigation into AMT is ongoing, but the pattern is clear. From Nevada to Missouri, this company leaves controversy in its wake. Whether it’s misleading signature gatherers on open primary/ranked-choice voting petitions, working with liberal unions, or now allegedly employing undocumented workers, AMT represents everything wrong with the petition industry.
For Nevada conservatives, watching Roberson’s company face scrutiny in other states feels like vindication. The man who couldn’t be trusted with taxpayer money apparently can’t be trusted to run an ethical business either.
As Missouri works to protect its elections from outside manipulation, they’d do well to remember Nevada’s experience. We learned the hard way that when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
Roberson showed Nevada he was willing to break promises for political expediency. Now other states are learning the same lesson about his company.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
