Ethics panel, IAP battle over unpaid fines

Thursday, July 10, 2003 | 10:04 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Independent American Party is battling again with the state Ethics Commission over payment of fines for failing to meet the deadline to file financial disclosure statements.

The Ethics Commission says three IAP candidates in last fall's election owe about $9,000 for submitting their statements late. Christopher Hansen owes $525, Mark Holloman $6,825 and Buffalo Jim Barrier $1,875, according to the commission.

The commission says it is turning the case over to state Controller Kathy Augustine for debt collection.

Hansen, in a fax to Augustine Monday, said the Ethics Commission is violating the law by turning over the collections to the controller's office. He said the Ethics Commission, under the law, must file a civil suit to collect the money from each candidate.

Hansen, who unsuccessfully ran for secretary of state, said he would do everything he could to see that the controller is punished if she tries to collect the debt.

But Stacy Jennings, executive director of the ethics commission, said it must do everything it can to collect the money before going to court. She said the commission has a contract with the controller's office to do debt collections.

She said every year the commission ends up with about 100 cases where people owe money for fines. The commission cannot be suing everybody to collect them, she said. District Judge Bill Maddox of Carson City has already ruled the commission has the right to fine those who submitted their financial disclosure statements past the deadline, she said.

But Maddox also ruled that political candidates who refused to disclose their personal financial information required by the ethics commission could not be fined. That issue involved IAP candidates who submitted disclosure statements without any information on them.