John M. Laxalt, brother of former US senator, dies

(AP) - John Maurice Laxalt, the younger brother of former U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt, has died in Carson City at the age of 85.

In a statement, Paul Laxalt said his brother died early Friday morning after recently moving back to the capital city. John Laxalt was an attorney in Washington, D.C., in the 1970s and 1980s when his brother was in the U.S. Senate, and he returned to Las Vegas several years ago.

Paul Laxalt called his brother "a fiercely independent individual with a keen wit until the very end." He says his brother also was "a kind and decent person" and trusted adviser.

Paul Laxalt served as Nevada governor from 1967 to 1971 and U.S. senator from 1974 to 1987.

The Laxalts come from a pioneering Basque family in Nevada.