In an unfolding development, Courtney Holland, the wife of Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s campaign manager, was revealed to have been part of the march that culminated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Governor Lombardo has faced criticism for his silence on President Donald Trump’s blanket pardon of the January 6 participants, many of whom were involved in assaults on police officers and have been implicated in subsequent criminal activities.
This situation could potentially challenge Lombardo’s law-and-order platform, which is central to his current reelection campaign.
Joe Weaver, a Republican strategist, is at the helm of Lombardo’s campaign. Weaver, who owns JW Political LLC, previously served as the political director for Lombardo’s Better Nevada PAC.
As reported by CNN in July 2022, Weaver’s wife, Courtney Holland, attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021. The rally opposed the congressional certification of Joe Biden as the President of the United States.
The rally initiated at the Ellipse, near the White House, with a speech from Trump alleging election fraud. The participants then moved towards the Capitol for the continuation of the event.
Holland was scheduled to speak at this second location, but the situation escalated to violence before her turn. She had previously spoken at a similar event in Washington D.C. in November 2020.
CNN reported that Holland shared a photo on social media, showing her marching to the Capitol alongside members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group involved in the attack. This post was later removed.
No evidence suggests Holland entered the Capitol, nor has she faced any charges. She maintained to CNN that her expectations were for a peaceful demonstration and believed the men in the photograph were “event security.”
Despite these clarifications, Holland expressed on social media post-attack that she was “not giving up on fighting for Trump.” A year later, she described January 6 as “not an insurrection” and criticized Democrats for exploiting the event, calling it a “solemn day.”
Governor Lombardo’s campaign emphasizes his support for law enforcement, yet links to Holland and his non-condemnation of the pardons raise questions about his stance on the violence against Capitol police officers.
Video footage from the event shows the mob attacking Officer Michael Fanone, who was later shot with a stun gun. Officer Brian Sicknick was pepper-sprayed and died of a stroke. Other officers faced attacks with metal poles and brass knuckles.
Lombardo’s reputation as a pro-police candidate was already under scrutiny due to his veto of a pay raise for Nevada troopers, leading to increased state police vacancies. Consequently, state police presence in Reno between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. has ceased, and only a few officers patrol the Las Vegas valley at night.
As a former Clark County sheriff (2015-2023), Lombardo oversaw two of Las Vegas’s deadliest years (2016 and 2017) since 1990, coinciding with a rise in officer-involved shootings.
Lombardo is seeking a second term as governor, with state Attorney General Aaron Ford as his Democratic opponent.
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