Ethics complaints require signature

Monday, July 31, 2000 | 11:08 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Citizens will still be able to file an ethics complaint against public officials based on newspaper stories, but they must sign a statement saying they believe the facts are true and honest, the state Ethics Commission says.

Commission Director Kenneth Rohrs said a lot of people made inaccurate statements after the commission adopted its new regulations in Las Vegas this month.

Rohrs said Friday the new regulations require more than a news article or a television report for the three-member panel of the commission to find just and sufficient cause to proceed to a public hearing before the full commission.

The person filing the complaint with an attached news article will be required to sign a statement that he or she believes the facts are true and honest. If that statement is signed, Rohrs will begin an investigation of the allegations.

"You just can't sit back in your living room and file complaints," Rohrs said.

If his investigation turns up nothing, Rohrs said that brings up the issue of bad faith by the person submitting the complaint.

After the last meeting, there was an impression among some that they could not use newspaper stories or television reports to bring complaints.

It's the law, not just the commission regulation, that requires the person to sign the statement that he or she believes the newspaper story to be true, Rohrs said.