Williams has more campaign-reporting woes

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005 | 8:54 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Former Assemblyman Wendell Williams of Las Vegas is paying off a $15,000 fine for missing deadlines in filing campaign reports, and now he faces another $5,000 fine.

Williams, defeated in the 2004 election by Harvey Munford, did not submit a final campaign report by the deadline in January 2005, according to the secretary of state's office, which is responsible for overseeing the reports.

Williams was notified in an Oct. 11 letter that he had failed to submit the report and of the pending fine. He has not replied, said Kristi Geiser, of the secretary of state's office. She said Tuesday that a second letter will be mailed to Williams.

The former assemblyman could not be reached for comment, but his attorney, Larry Semenza, said he talked with Williams, who assured him that he had submitted the report on time and it showed zero collections of campaign money.

"It was timely filed," Semenza said. He said Williams is going to contact the secretary of state's office to discuss the issue.

In 2000, 2001 and 2002, Williams missed campaign finance report filing deadlines. He agreed to pay a $6,800 fine in February 2002 after a lawsuit was threatened by the attorney general's office.

But a suit was filed when he paid only $3,000. He later paid the remaining $3,800.

Williams missed the filing deadlines for campaign finance and expense reports for the 2002 election and was fined $15,000. He is current on his $100-a month-payments on that fine, which would be paid off in November 2016.

Former Assemblyman David Goldwater of Las Vegas has been fined $1,975 for submitting his 2004 campaign report late.

Goldwater ran unsuccessfully for the Clark County Commission against Lynette Boggs McDonald. An Oct. 11 letter from the secretary of state's office notified him of the fine. It was returned because he had moved.

Letters on Nov. 17 and Dec. 7 were sent to Goldwater about payment of the fine, but he has not replied. Goldwater said he just received the Dec. 7 letter.

"For 10 years I didn't file late," said Goldwater, referring to prior campaigns. "If I did, I will pay the fine."

He said he first wanted to verify that the report was late.

If there are no replies, these cases will be turned over to the attorney general's office for suit.

Meanwhile Jan. 18 is the deadline for political candidates to file reports on how much they have raised in 2005 or if they have money left over from the last election.

Cy Ryan can be reached at (775) 687-5032 or at cy@lasvegasssun.com.