Deadlines near for ethics disclosures

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2000 | 9:35 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Ethics Commission is reminding legislators and public officials they must file a disclosure statement by Jan. 10 if they were paid to represent a client before a state agency in the last year.

The law, approved in 1991, says the legislator or public official must reveal the name of the client, the nature of the business and the name of the agency.

The law says, "A member of the legislative branch, or a member of the executive branch or public employee whose public services requires less than half of his time, may represent or counsel a private person before an agency in which he does not serve.

"Any other member of the executive branch or public employee shall not represent a client for compensation before any state agency of the executive or legislative branch of government."

Commission Executive Director Kenneth Rohrs said Monday the other deadline is March 31 for public officials to file their annual financial statements. It must include the source of income but not the name of clients, customers or patients; list real estate holdings, other than a home, whose value is $2,500 or more; creditors owed more than $5,000 and the names of donors who gave gifts worth more than $200.

Last year scores and possibly hundreds of public officers missed the March 31 deadline or didn't file a statement at all. Or they were late and asked for a waiver of the fine.

The penalty for missing the deadline is $25 a day for the first seven days; $50 per day if the statement is filed seven to 15 days late and it escalates to $100 per day.

The commission may for good cause waive or reduce the civil penalty.

Rohrs said his office is still compiling the list of those who either didn't file or were late. And he is getting the names for those who asked for a waiver.

He will present the information to the commission at its Jan. 21 meeting in Las Vegas for possible action.

Some people have paid their fines; others have ignored them and some have requested forgiveness.