Whipple FULL Bar Recording Released!

Whipple Admits Employing Illegal Immigrant

February 17, 2026

By Andrew Smith

Nevada’s CD 4 includes Nellis Air Force Base, the most elite training facility in the world consisting of some 14,000 airmen. The question for Republican voters is, do Mr. Whipple’s comments disqualify him to represent our National’s warriors?

Mr. Whipple reached out to us after the article was released and laughed when this point was brought up to him.

360 News Las Vegas is releasing the full, unedited and un-enhanced audio of Cody Whipple’s recorded conversation after Whipple claimed that prior coverage relied on a “spliced” and manipulated recording.

Whipple told Chuck Muth that “they clipped three to four different conversations together to create the single audio piece,” calling it a coordinated political attack.

That claim is false.

The newly released audio is one continuous conversation at a Lazy Dog in Las Vegas, Nevada that includes previously released audio.

The other individual in the conversation was Joseph Michael, an up-and-coming Nevada political consultant. 360 News has confirmed that Michael did not have Whipple as a client and did not violate any law or contractual obligation by participating and recording the discussion. 

Context Makes It Worse

Whipple previously suggested that his comments about law enforcement were taken out of context. The full recording shows the opposite.

The conversation appears to involve Michael walking Whipple through a candidate-style questionnaire for the Nevada Young Republicans, whom Joseph Michael is the Deputy Grassroots Director for. Mr. Michael indicates in the recording that he believes he could help Mr. Whipple obtain the Young Republican endorsement, the Nevada Young Republicans later endorsed Mr. Whipple’s opponent David Flippo. 

Around the 31 minute mark of the audio: When asked whether he would stand with law enforcement, Whipple gave what many would consider an evasive answer, stating that he had “worked with law enforcement for 25 years” and “that should speak for itself” rather than directly affirming support.

Later in the same conversation around the 1:05 minute mark of the audio, Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald is discussed. Whipple comments that McDonald looks “really unhealthy.”

Joseph Michael responds that he knows nothing about that. Whipple then pivots into a broader critique of law enforcement’s political influence in Nevada and that they “dilute the talent pool” because they are “not smart guys”. 

As the audio continues, Whipple appears to criticize former police officers and military veterans who seek office, referencing pensions and prior careers.

“When you get a pension and you already did your career…” Whipple says, before adding: “If all we’re doing is electing. Ex military and ex police. There isn’t a whole lot of experience there outside of what they did in the previous 25 years.”

Additional Admissions

The same recording includes several additional statements by Whipple that have not previously been reported.

At 23:56 Whipple further indicates that he does not plan to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, reportedly at the urging of his consultant. The pledge has long been promoted by conservative activist Chuck Muth.

Joseph Michael: “Will you sign the taxpayer protection pledge and the term limits pledge?”

Cody Whipple: “I’ve been told not to sign anything by my consultant. I don’t sign anything at this point.”

At 28:10 Cody Whipple says he would not support removing dual citizenship for members of Congress.

At 6:40 Whipple also refers to a man named “Clemente” who appears to have been an illegal immigrant who worked for Cody Whipple: “the guy Clemente that worked for us for a while, his entire family is legal, and he’s been in the process of finishing his status for a long time, and we love the man, and I would hate to cause any issues to him.”

On immigration policy, Whipple articulates what many Republican primary voters would likely view as a softer or less defined position compared to traditional enforcement-focused rhetoric.

At 59:37 “Yeah, we need immigration reform. We need to come up with some type of process that if somebody is an incredibly valuable worker. They can be put on a path to citizenship in some way. They’re adding benefit to our country. They’re building roads, they’re building homes. They’re helping our country grow. So at that point, there’s got to be some type of. Pipeline for all those years of work that gives them some type of status where it goes from maybe. Maybe work visa to a conditional visa to…You know, There needs to be a pathway of some sort. We’re not reproducing in this country anymore…”

Some may attempt to fault Joseph Michael for how this recording came to light, noting that the tone of the conversation appears cordial and that Whipple seemed comfortable speaking freely. That criticism misses the larger point. The recording captures a congressional candidate speaking candidly about law enforcement, party leadership, immigration, taxes, and his own past. Voters and stakeholders deserve to know how their potential elected representatives truly feel about those issues.

Within the broader conservative movement, investigative tactics that expose candid, behind-the-scenes statements have often been praised when they reveal information deemed relevant to voters. Activists such as James O’Keefe built national followings like Project Veritas on precisely that premise. Transparency, even when politically uncomfortable, has long been defended as a legitimate tool of accountability.

Michael had no contractual relationship with Whipple and violated no law. What he did was document statements that directly bear on whether a candidate reflects the values of Republican primary voters. In a contested race, sunlight remains a powerful disinfectant.