Campaign 2018: Democrats file complaint against Adam Laxalt
Democrats have accused Nevada Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt of violating state ethics laws by giving favorable treatment to his gubernatorial campaign.
Alana Mounce, executive director of the Nevada Democratic Party, filed a complaint Thursday with the Nevada Commission on Ethics alleging that Laxalt has used his official office to “block information from the public in order to give an unfair and unethical advantage to his political campaign and his political allies.”
The complaint centers on open records requests made by the Democrats and by Laxalt’s gubernatorial campaign. Records included in the complaint show that the attorney general’s office took approximately six months to produce Laxalt’s calendar from 2015 through 2017 as requested by Democrats. When Laxalt campaign spokesman Parker Briden requested the attorney general’s 2015 calendar on Aug. 8, however, the office produced the records that day.
State law prohibits public officers and employees from using their position to “secure or grant unwarranted privileges, preferences, exemptions or advantages” for themselves or a related organization.
Laxalt’s office said in a statement: “The leaked Democratic Party’s complaint is meritless. Just this year, the Attorney General’s Office spent thousands of employee hours timely responding to hundreds of public records requests, in a transparent and non-political manner.”
Mounce said in a statement that Nevadans “deserve to know whether Laxalt is taking advantage of his position as an elected official to promote his own campaign and benefit his bid for higher office.”
“Attorney General Laxalt’s taxpayer-funded office has repeatedly stonewalled requests for public information in order to shield his political campaign and his allies from potential damage,” Mounce said. “Meanwhile, his public office appears to be coordinating with his gubernatorial campaign to share information that would boost his political career.”
Registration deadlines near
Election Day is still more than a month away. But deadlines are looming if you want to cast a ballot.
The last day of standard voter registration, meaning without having to appear in person at an Clark County election department office or registering online at the Nevada secretary of state’s website, is Oct. 9.
From Oct. 10-16, including Saturday, Oct. 13, and Sunday, Oct. 14, residents can register in person at county election offices.
After that, the only option for registering is online at nvsos.gov/sos, which will be open until Oct. 18. After that, registration is closed.
News and notes
Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will travel to Las Vegas on Tuesday to kick off the “Vote Save Lives” tour, which calls on voters to elect candidates who will support gun control measures. Giffords will visit UNLV for a roundtable discussion with gun violence survivors and students before joining NextGen America president Tom Steyer for a canvass kickoff.
■ A national group is targeting GOP Sen. Dean Heller on his record related to women’s issues. A one-minute ad from 314 Action, an organization created for scientists and STEM professionals running for office, primarily focuses on Heller’s votes to defund Planned Parenthood.
■ Heller’s opponent, Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, released a new ad highlighting her work across the political aisle to pass legislation to improve veterans’ health care and education.
■ The Clark County Education Association endorsed Democrat Steven Horsford in his run for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District and Republican state Sen. Michael Roberson in his bid for lieutenant governor. The teachers union previously endorsed Steve Sisolak, the Democratic nominee for governor.
■ Proponents of Marsy’s Law, or Question 1 on the November ballot, released a statewide ad that shows crime victims trying to “move on” and put their lives back together — before seeing their perpetrator out in public. The measure would enshrine victims’ rights into the Nevada Constitution, including the right to be notified about a defendant’s release.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter. Contact Ramona Giwargis at rgiwargis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4538. Follow @RamonaGiwargis on Twitter.
