A complaint has been filed to the Nevada Commission on Ethics against Sheriff Joe Lombardo for using law enforcement resources, including his uniform and badge, in campaign materials, which violates state law. The complaint requests an investigation into Lombardo’s violation and asks the Commission to prevent Lombardo from further exploiting government resources for political gain.
In a similar case in 2019, the ethics commission established the precedent that this exploitation “creates an appearance of impropriety and violates NRS 281A.400(7).” Despite the Commission reminding the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association that no law enforcement official “may wear his/her uniform, badge or other physical accouterment of office…in support or opposition of a political campaign, including his/her own campaign,” Lombardo has flooded his campaign materials with images of his badge and uniform. As the person entrusted with enforcing the rules in Nevada’s largest county, Lombardo is disregarding state law to advance his career.
Read more from the complaint below:
“Despite serving as the chief law enforcement officer of Clark County, Nevada, Sheriff Lombardo has repeatedly violated state law by using official government resources to promote his candidacy for governor. Sheriff Lombardo’s actions clearly violate the law: the Nevada Commission on Ethics has previously considered identical conduct by other state officials, and found it to be in violation of the law.”
“Far from being isolated or one-off incidents, Sheriff Lombardo’s repeated violations constitute a pattern of flouting the law in pursuit of his own personal advancement.”
“Public office is a public trust to be held for the sole benefit of the people. This responsibility is all the more crucial where the office at issue is of the sheriff, who is entrusted with upholding the law. But rather than upholding the law and the integrity of his office, Sheriff Lombardo has flagrantly violated the law and exploited government resources for his own personal gain to advance his political campaign.”
“In his campaign for governor, Joe Lombardo is working overtime to make sure everyone knows he’s the law and order candidate, yet he’s been shamelessly flying in the face of state law,” said Nevada Democratic Victory spokesperson Mallory Payne. “Lombardo will do or say anything to win, even putting his political ambition before the law. He’s given Nevadans no reason to trust him and it’s time he’s held accountable.”
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