Ethics fines placed on hold

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARSON CITY - The state Ethics Commission wants to clear up some discrepancies before pursuing fines or granting waivers to political candidates late in filing financial disclosure statements last year.

Chairman Bill Bible says errors were discovered in such things as the filing date on the disclosure statements.

Just over 200 political candidates, out of the 4,500 in the state, didn't make a May 1998 deadline for submitting financial statements to the commission.

Some filed late and paid the penalty, others filed late but didn't pay, and some didn't submit anything.

All of the delinquent candidates were notified they were late. Some asked for waivers for various reasons, and since then collection efforts have been in limbo. At one point the state was owed more than $600,000 in fines.

Bible, who was elected the commission's chairman last month, said the issue has lingered too long and he wants it resolved.

A legal opinion from the attorney general's office last year said the commission had the power to grant clemency to those who showed they deserve it. It can also cap fines in cases where the circumstances were justified, the attorney general said.

The commission also named a subcommittee of Mario Recanzone of Fallon and Peter Bernhard of Las Vegas to review applications for the jobs of executive director and attorney, positions created by the 1999 Legislature. A recommendation will be made to the commission in September.

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