Attorney general readies suit against candidates

Friday, Jan. 4, 2002 | 9:40 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Attorney General's Office is putting the finishing touches on civil lawsuits to be filed against errant political candidates who failed to file campaign expense reports on time.

The list includes Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Kateri Cavin on Thursday said the lawsuits, designed as a means of collecting money owed the state in fines, could be filed as early as next week.

In July, Secretary of State Dean Heller, Nevada's chief election officer, turned over the names of 60 candidates who were either late in submitting their campaign contribution and expense reports or failed to file them altogether. The list showed $250,450 was owed the state in fines.

Since then, some of the candidates have paid the penalties and complied with the law, and one candidate has died. Candidates also have been sent a number of letters from both the secretary of state's office and the attorney general's office.

Most of the candidates were unsuccessful in their bids for legislative offices, county commission or improvement districts.

The law requires that three reports be filed during the election season, detailing how much a candidate collected and where he spent his money.

The most prominent person on the list of delinquent candidates is Williams, who owes $6,800. He submitted his first report late and was assessed a $1,775 fine. His second report was late by one day and he was fined $25. And his third report has never been filed, resulting in a $5,000 penalty.

Williams could not be reached for comment.

He sought to pay part of his fine with a $400 check in October, but it was rejected by the secretary of state's office. Deputy Secretary of State Susan Morandi said Williams tried to pay the fine with a check from his campaign fund.

However, according to policy, Morandi cannot accept fines paid from political contributions.

"People don't donate money to pay a fine," Morandi said. "He's (Williams') personally responsible for filing the reports. They (the donors) give him money for his campaign for such things as signs."

The law, said Morandi, prohibits using campaign funds for personal use.

In Williams' case, the secretary of state's office returned the check to the address in Las Vegas (3701 Fortune Ave.) but it was never claimed. The unopened letter is back in the hands of the secretary of state's office.

Cavin has made several attempts to contact Williams and other candidates to get them to file their reports.