Ethics chief Boetsch to quit

CARSON CITY -- Mary Boetsch, who has presided over some of the most controversial cases in the history of the state Ethics Commission, said today she will not seek reappointment when her term ends in June.

"It's time to go," said Boetsch, the chairwoman of the six-member commission that interprets the state's ethics laws. It's the Ethics Commission that ultimately decides conflict-of-interest issues affecting public officials.

"I've been doing this for five years and there's a new governor and I'm sure he would like his own folks," Boetsch said today. "I'm looking to doing other things."

Boetsch said one of her considerations was that the job takes a lot of time away from her private law practice in Reno.

Some public officials have complained in recent months that the Ethics Commission has become overly aggressive, but Boetsch said that criticism had nothing to do with her decision to resign.

She dismissed the complaints, saying the Ethics Commission is simply doing the job assigned to it by the Legislature.

The Legislature this session will consider six bills that seek to restructure the Ethics Commission.

Boetsch appeared Tuesday and today in front of the budget committees of the Legislature asking for extra money to hire an executive director to run the operation, freeing the chairman and other members to listen to testimony and make decisions instead of being involved in some of the administrative tasks.

Boetsch was appointed to fill the unexpired term of former Assemblyman Bob Sader and then appointed to a four-year term by Gov. Bob Miller.

She said she would like to be able to go on vacation in the fall without worrying about complaints being submitted to the Ethics Commission about dirty political campaigns. The commission was given the duty two years ago of overseeing candidates who make false statements about their opponents. There were nine cases decided in the last election, including two cases in which fines were imposed.

Fellow commissioner Joni Wines said she was surprised by Boetsch's decision to leave the panel. "She's done a good job. She kept the meetings moving. I'm sorry to see Mary leave."

Boetsch was in the Washoe County district attorney's office for five years before she went into private practice.

During her term as chairwoman, Boetsch presided over high-profile cases of conflicts of interest involving Clark County commissioners.

Last year, the Ethics Commission found that then-County Commission Chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates had violated ethics laws by approaching executives at Strip casinos -- which are regulated by the County Commission -- about leasing space for a daiquiri business in which she had a personal interest. Gates is now appealing that decision in District Court.

Also, the Ethics Commission found that Gates and Commissioner Lance Malone had wielded undue influence in securing concessions for their friends at McCarran.

The decisions brought widespread attention to the Ethics Commission, which previously had projected a low profile.

In its latest decision, the Ethics Commission fined North Las Vegas Constable Herb Brown $10,000 after ruling that he made false statements during the campaign about the qualifications of his Republican opponent, Steve Bergstrom.

Earlier, the commission had fined Bob Beers $5,000 for making untrue statements about his opponent in the race for Assembly in Las Vegas against Dennis Silvers. Beers was elected and is appealing the case.

Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones had nine complaints filed against her, and each time the commission absolved her of wrongdoing.

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