Nevad State Sen. Mo Denis listens to Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen during the State of the City address at Green Valley Ranch Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014.
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014 | 5:55 p.m.
The Nevada Supreme Court has dismissed a suit filed against past Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, accused of violating the Constitution by working for a state agency while serving in the Legislature.
The action was brought by conservative blogger William Pojunis, who maintained that Denis' dual service was a violation of the separation of powers clause in the Constitution.
Denis worked for the state Public Utilities Commission as a computer technician but resigned.
The court said Pojunis had no standing to bring the suit. The complaint was moot since Denis resigned from the PUC. And it rejected the claim that the salary and benefits should be blocked because of the dual service.
Quoting from a court decision in Texas, a taxpayer has standing to file suit about upcoming state spending, not to complain about public money already spent, the court said..
Denis issued a statement Wednesday that the conservative Nevada Policy Research Institute was behind the suit. He called it a “waste of time” and added that NPRI should work to advance such issues as public education and fairness for the working family.
He noted the court did not even hold a hearing on the complaint, which had been dismissed by District Judge James T. Russell of Carson City.
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