Carpetbagger allegation, misplaced valor make Nevada's safe red House seat competitive

RENO, Nev. — The race for Nevada's 2nd Congressional District shouldn't be competitive, just based on history and math. But the Republican Party's nominee, David Flippo, is facing an unusually tough race despite having President Trump's endorsement, bogged down by allegations that he exaggerated his military service and lacks real ties to the district. "This seat is some kind of competitive like it has never been in the history since it was created," said Mark Amodei, the retiring Republican congressman who has represented the northern Nevada district for the past 15 years.

"And you know what I attribute that to? I attribute it to the candidate and the way he's run his campaign." The Washington Post was first to report that Flippo's campaign repeatedly mischaracterized his military service, in fundraising appeals and a video from an earlier congressional run. In the video, the booming voice of a narrator described Flippo as "a recipient of the Bronze Star that he received for Valor." But Flippo didn't receive a bronze star with the "V" for valor, which requires bravery in battle.

It's a big distinction that most veterans notice. Flippo held a press conference where he apologized and blamed a young staffer for mixing up the word "valor" from an award his whole unit received. In an interview with NPR, Flippo said the language about his awards got "edited and convoluted" and he "missed it," then caught it, but somehow it worked its way back into his campaign materials.

Still, Flippo said he accepts responsibility. "Look, part of leadership is taking ownership," he said. "It was just an honest oversight." Flippo defended wearing the "V" on a ball cap next to his Bronze Star medal.

In fact, a photo prominently displayed on his campaign website, showed him wearing two bronze "V" pins. He also wore it regularly at campaign events, including his primary night victory party. This was initially noted by the conservative outlet Nevada News & Views but Flippo addressed the question of why he was displaying those two "V" pins for the first time publicly in his interview with NPR.

"You know if you've lived with grandkids, and you know, you kind of know, when you ask them to put those things on your hat," Flippo said before offering further evidence. "Actually, answer me this. I do have another hat that's just like it, because you misplace one or whatever, and that does not have any V devices on it, so and I was like 'where did that other V device go?' So, the grandkids ended up doing that." The campaign removed the photo from his website shortly after our interview.