Ethics fines placed on hold

Friday, Aug. 13, 1999 | 11:13 a.m.

RENO -- The state Ethics Commission Thursday decided it wants to clear up some discrepancies before either pursuing fines or granting waivers to scores of political candidates who were late in filing their financial disclosure statements last year.

Chairman Bill Bible said errors were discovered in such things as the filing date on the disclosure statements. Extra staff will be hired to examine them.

"If we're going to ask people, particularly elected officials, to pay the money," Deputy Attorney General Rob Bony, assigned to the ethics commission, said, "we don't want anything wrong."

Slightly more than 200 political candidates out of the 4,500 in the state didn't make the May 28, 1998, deadline for submitting financial statements to the commission. Some filed late and paid the penalty. Others filed late but did not pay.

Others did not submit any financial statements.

All of the delinquent candidates were notified in July they were late. Some asked for waivers for various reasons, but since then collection efforts have been in limbo. At one point the state was owed more than $600,000 in fines.

Bible, who was elected the commission's chairman last month, said the issue has lingered too long and he wants it resolved.

A legal opinion from the attorney general's office last year said the commission had the power to grant clemency to those who showed they deserve it. It can also cap fines in cases where the circumstances were justified, the attorney general said.

The commission named a subcommittee of Mario Recanzone of Fallon and Peter Bernhard of Las Vegas to review the applications for the jobs of executive director and attorney, positions created by the 1999 Legislature.

Bible said the subcommittee will narrow down the list and interview the finalists. A recommendation will be made to the commission in September. The executive director position pays $70,450 and the attorney's salary is $67,095.

Bible said he wants the two new staff members in place by Oct. 1 when the ethics law goes into effect.