Editorial: Recoil from recall that breaks law

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003 | 8:46 a.m.

Ever since the Watergate scandal spurred government at all levels to be open about campaign finances, filling out disclosure forms has been a standard activity throughout the country for individuals and organizations involved in local, state and federal elections. Without disclosure, the public is left without a clue as to who is wielding power behind the scenes.

Apparently, that's just how Tony Dane would have it. He is the leader of the ill-advised effort to recall Gov. Kenny Guinn. So far the campaign is proving nothing except that most people in Nevada are satisfied with the job Guinn is doing and are not outraged that he led the drive for new and increased taxes. The recall effort, which needs 128,000 valid signatures by Nov. 25, had a total of 12,000 signatures last month.

It's one thing to begin a hopeless campaign, but an altogether different thing to defy the law. Dane is saying now that he won't file legally required forms disclosing the people, businesses and organizations that have contributed to the campaign and the amounts of money or types of services they have donated. This means he intends to keep Nevadans in the dark about who is working with him to oust the governor and also about how the campaign has spent money.

Dane said his defiance of state law is to protect contributors from retaliation by the gaming industry, which supported Guinn's tax plan in the 2003 Legislature. Dane cited a decision by Harrah's Entertainment Co. at Lake Tahoe to stop buying beer from a distributor who had opposed the Guinn plan. The Harrah's purchasing decision, which had nothing to do with campaign finance reports, is beside the point. Dane is trying to recall a governor without disclosing who's behind the effort. This is the point and it should steer anyone with honest differences with Guinn far away from the likes of Tony Dane and his murky campaign.