Dennis Hof, the bombastic legal pimp who made waves for clinching the GOP nomination for a Nevada legislative seat this year, has died. He was 72.
Nye County Commissioner John Koenig confirmed the news Tuesday at a commission meeting, according to Nye County spokesman Arnold Knightly.
Hof "went to sleep last night and didn't wake up," Koenig said, according to Knightly.
The Nye County Sheriff is investigating, Knightly said.
Hof's campaign manager Chuck Muth confirmed the news.
“I wish something I could tell you. I’m on my way up there now to find out exactly what the hell happened," Muth said. "I got a call from his assistant, in tears saying Dennis died and I need you to come out here immediately, I can't deal with this myself.
“We had a wonderful event last night. He was having the time of his life last night. Grover Norquist was there," Muth said. "Ron Jeremy was there. He was given a rescue dog as a birthday present. He was having the time of his life.”
Muth said there was no indication Hof wasn’t feeling well last night. Muth tweeted about the event on Monday night.
Hof upended local politics this summer when he ousted an incumbent state lawmaker in a GOP primary. He is on the November ballot as a Republican seat from a Southern Nevada district near Pahrump.
Hof's four Lyon County brothels are the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, Kit Kat Guest House, Love Hotel and Sagebrush.
In September, the Nevada Department of Public Safety said it was investigating him because of a request from the Carson City Sheriff’s office.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that three former prostitutes accused Hof of sexual assault in 2005, 2009 and 2011 at his Bunny Ranch brothel near Carson City and Love Ranch brothel outside Las Vegas. Hof denied the allegations. Prosecutors declined to file, citing the expired statute of limitations.
Hof lost his Washoe Valley home in the 2016 Little Valley Fire in Washoe Valley.
He was a media celebrity for years.
He made headlines with Bill Clinton when several of his brothel employees got their picture taken with the former president at a charity event. He posted bail for presumed Liberace lover Jess Marlow, aka Scott, Thorson before Marlow was sentenced for burglary and identity theft.
And he promoted a "Get My Grandpa Laid" contest on the "Howard Stern Show."
In 2015, he published "The Art of the Pimp," an autobiography.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
