Christensen fails to impress Jones with response to charges

Kirsten Searer

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

The Democratic candidate challenging Assemblyman Chad Christensen, R-Las Vegas, says Christensen's response to charges of misuse of campaign funds raises more questions than it answers.

Justin Jones filed a complaint in September pointing out that Christensen received a $3,500 check from his campaign coffers on Jan. 7. The money wasn't reimbursed to his campaign until Aug. 26.

Christensen originally said his campaign advanced him the money to use for petty cash while he set up his office.

But in a letter dated Oct. 22 to the secretary of state, Christensen said his campaign workers gave him the money because they believed he had incurred campaign costs.

"Upon further review of the campaign records, it was later determined that this amount was in excess of unreimbursed campaign expenses and expenditures, as of Jan. 7, 2004," the letter said. "I understand the statute prohibits a candidate from spending money received as a campaign contribution for his personal use."

Christensen declined to comment further on the issue, saying he would talk to the media after Secretary of State Dean Heller rules on the issue.

Jones had plenty to say about it, however.

"I don't think he cleared anything up," Jones said. "It just left me more confused than before. He doesn't seem to be able to get his story straight on where his money was going to."

Christensen was fined $4,500 earlier this year for failing to detail his campaign expenses in a January report. He called the mistakes in filling out forms a "human" error, but Jones says it shows that Christensen is unfit for office.

"Chad doesn't understand the law," Jones said. "He's a lawmaker, and he doesn't understand the law."

The secretary of state's office now can levy a fine on Christensen, forward the case for prosecution or rule that Christensen acted within the bounds of campaign finance laws.

Christensen said it's ironic that Jones has tried to point him out as the unethical candidate because on Saturday, one of Jones' campaign workers took Christensen's campaign literature after he had distributed it in a neighborhood.

Jones said he did not instruct his campaign workers to take Christensen's material. It was simply an act by an "overzealous" campaign worker, Jones said.