Sun editorial:

Full disclosure is needed

Elected officials should be required to reveal all of their PACs’ donors and expenditures

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009 | 2:08 a.m.

Nevada richly deserves its reputation as having among the nation’s weakest laws when it comes to disclosure of money in politics.

Candidate disclosure forms have often contained illegible handwriting. Candidates aren’t required to list campaign donors’ employers or occupations. Companies can circumvent campaign donation limits by giving maximum contributions through subsidiaries.

The disclosure laws are so weak that Gov. Jim Gibbons created a legal defense fund but initially hid its donors’ identities, only to release the information in 2007 after being pressured by the media.

As reported Monday in the Las Vegas Sun by Sam Skolnik, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and former North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon, a candidate for governor, have also taken advantage of a provision in the law that allows elected officials to raise unlimited sums of money through political action committees without having to disclose donors or expenditures unless the money is spent on candidates.

Montandon, at least, has voluntarily disclosed his information. But Goodman has refused to do so, which is a troubling blow to open municipal government.

The Las Vegas Valley has experienced its fair share of public corruption, which has contributed to distrust of government. What Southern Nevada does not need is for any elected official to have access to a secretive PAC.

Although Goodman told the Sun the money in his Oscar’s Political Action Committee fund has gone to worthy causes, there is no public documentation filed with the secretary of state to back up that claim. If the money has gone to worthy causes, why can’t the donors simply give money to those organizations directly?

Donors may feel pressured to give money to the mayor’s PAC for purposes of access and to get on his good side.

Goodman should put to rest such fears through full disclosure of his PAC donors and recipients. And the Nevada Legislature, when it meets in 2011, should require all elected officials to do likewise.

Discussion: 10 comments so far…

By dwms

10/6/09 at 2:28 a.m.

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Under Oscar Goodman's watch, the billions of dollars awarded and to be awarded in wrongful deaths, abuse and/or neglect to Las Vegas children has bankrupted the city. Mayor Goodman's legacy will most likely be accessory to children's deaths as opposed to known corruption. YOUR RIGHT!
By vanpray

10/6/09 at 5 a.m.

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It is all on opensecrets.com.
By lcdrmandingonamvet

10/6/09 at 6:05 a.m.

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I could careless about politicians loot, except for Neil Bush. Unlike Floyd Mayweather, Neil robbed Denver's Silverado Bank of more than $1 BILLION and he didn't pay any income taxes on the loot. Depositors and taxpayers have been fleeced by the Bush Klan, a criminal enterpise. GHBW made $16 million from insider stock trading at Global Crossings, Inc., and he didn't pay any taxes either. Global and Silverado both financially collapsed. Strange, the LVNV US Marshals, FBI, and IRS offices went after Mayweather. Must be that racism stuff that President Carter talks about.

Neil, GHWB, and Boy George all used stolen money when they made '08'campaign donations to McCain, AKA old chicken-arms, drunk, war-whoremonger, and he is still guilty of voter-fraud and perjury, because he took a $112K bribe from Keating. GHWB sent Keating to prison.
By lcdrmandingonamvet

10/6/09 at 6:23 a.m.

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Barry O'BUMBLER, mucho thanks! Obama, Holder, NABJ (print-video), and Cong Black Caucus-CBC-comical blacks in congress, are a corps of gutless wonders, sell-outs, Judases, Benedict Arnolds, etc. The IRS only targets Blacks (Ron Isley, Wesley Snipes, Floyd Mayweather), for BACK taxes. Boy George (GWB) jailed Isley and Snipes (SHARECROPPERS).

While GHWB had the WATCH, his baby-boy, Neil Bush, stole $1 BILLION from Denver's Silverado Bank. Neil paid 0 income taxes on this loot. Lubed with "boy butter" are taxpayers, across all racial lines. Not to be outdone, GHWB even got into the "Fleecing of America" act. He made $16 million from insider-stock trading at Global Crossings, Inc., and Global and Silverado, they both financially collapsed.

I'm sure the LVNV FBI, IRS, and US Marshals offices will never read my post.
By Johnathan_Abbinett

10/6/09 at 9:34 a.m.

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Gee, askng poliiticians to be honest, and write a law that requires them to be honest about the money they raise - in vegas? What a novel idea! I wonder what the odds are of this actually happening in 2011 - or, ever? You know, compared to the global warming factor and hell freezing over?
By mrxroc8

10/6/09 at 4:27 p.m.

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Thank you Las Vegas Sun for this great editorial!

Full financial disclosure is critical in all areas of Politics and Government, not just the PAC's.

Nevada needs sweeping legislation to reform all areas of financial disclosure in every level of government. Using current technology there is absolutely no reason that this cannot be acomplished except for the resistance of the status quo! Every dime of public money is already computerized and would require little expense to publish online. Every single financial tranaction needs to be posted online for every government office from the state to local levels for public review. This would go a long way to prevent the rampant corruption and cronyism we have today.

I hope the Las Vegas Sun follows up on this article with a commitment to pursue full disclosure legislation and awareness in the best interest of the people of Nevada.

Governments are particularly susceptible to accusations of cronyism, as they spend public money. Many democratic governments are encouraged to practice administrative transparency in accounting and contracting, however, there often is no clear delineation of when an appointment to government office is "cronyism". It is not unusual for a politician to surround him- or herself with highly-qualified subordinates, and to develop social, business, or political friendships leading to the appointment to office of friends, likewise in granting government contracts. In fact, the counsel of such friends is why the officeholder successfully obtained his or her powerful position -- therefore, cronyism usually is easier to perceive than to demonstrate and prove.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cronyism
By Phargo

10/6/09 at 5:26 p.m.

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Hey dingo!
don't sugarcoat it, tell it like it is.
By Vegasvampire

10/6/09 at 9:58 p.m.

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I'll tell you a simpler way to keep these politician from raising these funds like no tomorrow: Make a law, actually make it a US Constitutional Amendment, 1) Donations to a political candidate has to be from a citizen that resides in that candidates voting district. 2)Corporations are not American Citizens and cannot make donations to political causes or candidates. ----That ways it will give an equal playing field to anyone who wants to seek office.
By longun45

10/6/09 at 10:07 p.m.

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It's ok. We don't get full disclosure from Washington either. We do get plenty of promises and smoke. But some how get the shaft. Maybe we should thank Harry.
By chriscross

10/6/09 at 10:41 p.m.

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let me quess...oscars "worthy cause" would be his wifes school? i would have voted for oscar for governor. but, after reading this: no thanks oscar. keep hiding your money from us. if the man cant tell us what he's doing with campaign money how on gods green earth are we supposed to trust him with a state budget?