Reorganized Ethics Commission elects new chairman, muses over old fines

CARSON CITY - Naming a new chairman was easy for Nevada's restructured Ethics Commission. But there was no quick solution on whether to collect overdue fines that one estimate put at $750,000.

Peter Bernhard of Las Vegas took over Thursday as chairman of the commission, whose staff was expanded by the 1999 Legislature from one overwhelmed staffer to an executive director, an assistant and a lawyer.

Bernhard replaces Bill Bible, who recently quit to run Nevada's biggest casino lobbying organization. Four new members also were sworn in: Todd Russell of Carson City, Lizzie Hatcher of Las Vegas, William Flangas of Las Vegas and Raymond "Skip" Avansino of Reno.

That action only took a few minutes. But discussion of the old fines took longer - and will continue at the panel's January meeting.

"It's a mess," said Ken Rohrs, the new executive director, describing seven boxes of information he inherited on hundreds of fines imposed on last year's candidates.

At least 200 of the 4,500 candidates for local and state offices in Nevada failed to meet a May 1998 deadline for submitting financial statements to the commission. Some filed late and paid penalties, others filed late but didn't pay, and some didn't submit anything.

All the delinquent candidates were notified they were late. Some asked for waivers from fines for various reasons, and since then, collection efforts have been in limbo.

Commission member Joni Wines of Douglas County said she had heard the old fines could total $114,000. Rohrs said he had heard the amount was $750,000.

A legal opinion from the attorney general's office last year said the commission could decide to grant clemency or cap fines in deserving cases.

Hatcher said there could be fines that shouldn't have been sought at all. She said that while running for a judicial office in 1998, the commission sent her two letters in 1998 demanding a financial statement she already had sent.

"We have concerns about the accuracy of the records," Rohrs said. Making matters more complex, candidates who paid their penalties are asking whether they would get refunds if those who didn't pay are granted waivers.

Bernhard asked Rohrs for a list of the non-filers and overdue fines by the commission's January meeting. With that, he said, "we can get our arms around the problem."

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