Deputy Attorney General Ling to leave post

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Feb. 4, 1999 | 11:05 a.m.

The theory that the Nevada Ethics Commission might be revamped during the 1999 Legislative session was widespread, but few guessed it would begin with the two highest-profile figures exiting the board.

A day after commission Chairwoman Mary Boetsch announced she would not seek re-appointment to the board, deputy attorney general Louis Ling said he too is moving on.

Ling was reassigned to oversee a handful of other state boards and commissions and will be replaced after the Ethics Commission's Feb. 19 meeting by deputy attorney general Rob Bony.

Ling, who represented the Ethics Commission for nearly four years, said shuffling commission assignments is a common practice at the attorney general's office.

"Three and a half years, that's about as long as the office felt comfortable with me being with this job," Ling said Wednesday. "It's going to be a hard client to leave because the work they do is important and it's been a once-in-a-career opportunity for me."

Ling and Boetsch were involved in two of the most active and controversial years of the commission. The ethics board few people knew even existed three years ago evolved into a panel that instilled fear in elected officials.

With notoriously harsh opinions, both verbally and in writing, the Ethics Commission drew attention to itself, prompting the state Legislature to look at its funding, staffing and laws.

"Ethics has needed to be a political issue for some time," Ling said. "It finally is. It don't know what the Ethics Commission and government law will be after this session, but at least it's being discussed and examined. I'll be watching."