LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Anyone can file a complaint against a public official or employee through the Nevada Ethics Commission, regardless of whether they are a state resident.
How to file a complaint
The complaint process begins on the Nevada Ethics Commission’s website. According to the commission, a complaint must identify the public officer or employee alleged to have violated ethics law, specify which provisions were violated, and include supporting evidence.
“The ethics complaint has to identify the public officer or employee who is alleged to have violated the ethics law, identify which provisions of the ethics law were violated, and provide evidence, whether that’s documentation or kind of written testimony about what happened that actually made an ethics violation,” a commission representative said.
What happens after a complaint is filed
Once the commission receives a complaint, it has 45 days to decide whether to take action. The commission has three options.
“They can just dismiss the case with no further action… They can dismiss the case, but issue a letter of caution or instruction to the subject of the complaint… And then the third option is that the Commission at that point can order the executive director to initiate an investigation and proceed with the case,” a commission representative said.
In some cases, the investigation can take the form of a formal hearing.
Potential penalties
If an official is found to have violated ethics law, the commission has several options for non-willful violations.
“In non-willful situations, the commission can order training. They can mandate an apology. They can issue an admonishment… if there was financial gain from the ethics violation, they can require that the financial benefit be paid back,” a commission representative said.
For willful violations, financial penalties may apply.
“If it was willful… they can also issue civil penalties up to $5,000 for the first offense, $10,000 for the second, and $25,000 for the third offense,” the representative said.
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