Sixty candidates fail to file financial reports

Monday, Sept. 25, 2000 | 11:28 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, and university Regent Dave Phillips, also of Las Vegas, are among the 60 political candidates who failed to file their campaign finance reports.

Susan Morandi, deputy secretary of state for elections, sent letters Friday notifying them they are being fined $1,475 for violating the requirement.

In addition, more than 30 other candidates, including Supreme Court Justice candidate Gary Backus of Ely, Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, D-North Las Vegas, and Regent Jill Derby of Gardnerville, submitted their reports past the filing deadline of Aug. 29. They are being fined in various amounts, depending on the lateness of the report.

Backus was three days late and is being assessed $75. He came in second in a three-way primary election and will face incumbent Justice Nancy Becker in November. Chowning is being assessed $25 for being one day late and Judi Lynn, her unsuccessful opponent in the primary election, is being fined $100. Derby is being assessed $175.

The fine is $25 a day for the first seven days a report is not filed. The penalty escalates to $50 per day for up to 15 days. And after 15 days, the daily fine is $100. The maximum fine is $5,000.

Candidates who still have not filed their finance reports but who pay immediately after receiving the letter will pay only $1,475, even though the fine could continue to accumulate until the report is filed, Morandi said. Those who do not pay promptly will find their fine increasing with each passing day, she said.

Even candidates who dropped out of the election are being penalized. Morandi said the law still requires them to submit campaign reports.

Eleanor Chow of Las Vegas, who withdrew from the race for state Board of Education, and Craig Jorgenson, a Las Vegas attorney who was disqualified from seeking the judgeship in Nye County, are being assessed $1,475 for failing to file a report.

Morandi's letter reminds delinquent candidates that the law prohibits them from using campaign contributions to pay the fines. No deadline is set for payment.

Other Clark County candidates being fined $1,475 are Britt Merson, a Republican who lost in the primary to incumbent Ray Rawson in Senate District 6; Justice of the Peace Victor Miller of Boulder City, who is running unopposed; Chester Richardson, a Republican who is challenging incumbent Morse Arberry for Assembly District 7; Byron Goynes, a Democrat who is running against Dennis Nolan in Assembly District 13; Joshua Hansen, the Independent American Party candidate running against County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury in District A; and Juana L. Jordan, who withdrew from the race against Regent Mark Alden in District D.

Those from Clark County who are being fined $25 for being one day late are Marcia Washington, a candidate for state Board of Education; James Tate, Democrat who lost in the primary against Lois Tarkanian for County Commission, District C; Linda Howard, a candidate for university regent against Phillips; and Family Court Judge Art Ritchie, who is running unopposed.

Penalties of $50 are being assessed against School Board member Shirley Barber; Justice of the Peace Rodney Burr, who is running unopposed in Henderson; Lou Toomin, Republican challenging incumbent Valerie Wiener in Senate District 3; Michael Wisner, Republican running against Assemblyman Doug Bache in District 11; Wayne Weiswasser, a Democrat who lost to John Oceguera in the primary for Assembly District 16; Timothy Hagan, Libertarian challenging Woodbury in District A; and Jeff White, Woodbury's Democratic opponent.

A fine of $75 is being imposed of Marion Bennett, a Democrat who lost to Morse Arberry in Assembly District 7.