Nevada Republicans Have Criminal Minds 

May 31, 2005

In the past eight months, many Republican leaders have been caught in ethical lapses. Not surprising, their actions this year have been focused on their wants and have ignored what the public needs…. a reasonable ethics standard.

Last year Nevada state Controller Kathy Augustine was impeached because she used state employees on her re-election campaign. She also admitted to three ethics violations before the impeachment and was fined $15,000. She was found innocent by the Republican controlled Nevada Senate in December 2004 though she admitted guilt. Amazing!

After the trial and support from like-minded Republicans in the Republican controlled senate, there was a call for a tightening of Nevada’s ethics laws. Bills were introduced when the Legislative session started in 2005.

The Republican controlled state senate through its Committee on Legislative Operation and Elections has refused to consider any proposal to tighten ethics in state government either for themselves or state employees.

Even an Assembly Joint Resolution calling for a three ethics strikes and your out was ignored by that committee.

So much for an ethical and moral state government!

These actions by our state senators prove Nevada Republicans are ethically challenged and seem to have something to hide. Perhaps the proposals are something they cannot support because they would be immediately charged with violations if they were to become law.

It is about time for every Republican senator to resign and for Nevadans to admit they have state senators with criminal minds unfit for public service.