Ethics Panel fines candidate for false ad

The commission on Thursday levied the fine against Assembly District 4 candidate Bob Beers. Commissioners said Beers' flyer before the Sept. 1 primary implied that his opponent, Dennis Silvers, could have been culpable in a 1996 restaurant fire that killed 66 pets in a nearby animal shelter.

Beers won the GOP primary by a vote margin of 2 to 1.

The ad read, in part, "By November 1996, Alias Smith and Jones was over $20,000 in debt, had 13 late rent notices, before the third arson fire destroyed it, killing 66 pets at a nearby clinic. The fire is still under investigation."

The Nov. 30 fire destroyed the Las Vegas restaurant.

In his complaint, Silvers said Beers knew he didn't own the restaurant at that time, having sold it to his partner five months earlier.

"This falsely implies I am an arsonist who murdered pets," Silvers said.

Mary Boetsch, a Reno lawyer and Ethics Commission chairwoman, said Beers had no proof of Silvers' involvement in the fire and called the ad "blatant and foul" and "designed to be horrific."

Beers' attorney, Craig Mueller, argued the flyer was not unfair.

"These facts create the inference that Mr. Silvers was not a good businessman," Mueller said in a written argument. "They also create the inference that Mr. Silvers had something to do with the fire. However unpleasant these inferences are, they are not unfair."

Beers, who did not attend the hearing, said he would appeal.

"This commission is a terrible embarrassment to the people who wrote the law and to the people who appointed the commissioners," he said.

Commissioner Hal Smith, a former state senator, said the ruling likely will invite more complaints to be filed by candidates.

"This will probably be overturned," he said. "But this was an offensive piece and we're trying to send a message they should be more careful."

Billy Vassiliadis, a long-time campaign consultant, said the commission's ruling could open a can of worms.

"The commission is undertaking the role of campaign cops," he said. "This is setting up that commission to judge an avalanche of work, work that I'm not sure they're prepared, capable or qualified to do."

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