In a much-anticipated resolution, Nevada’s Commission on Ethics has agreed that Governor Joe Lombardo will not face a finding of a willful ethics violation over his past use of a sheriff’s uniform and badge in campaign materials—but he will pay $5,000 to the state’s general fund as part of a settlement. 

The dispute dates back to 2021, when critics alleged Lombardo improperly leveraged his former Clark County Sheriff’s attire for political gain. An earlier 2023 ruling had fined and censured him, but the governor challenged that decision. The Nevada Supreme Court eventually overturned the penalty, citing ambiguity in the state’s ethics statutes.  Now, the settlement refocuses the narrative: no censure, no heavy sanction, and no admission of willful misconduct, only a modest payment and recognition of a “non-willful” breach. 

Those on the right should note: this outcome underscores a principle too often ignored—public figures must be held to ethical standards, but they should not be punished for legal gray areas. The commission itself acknowledged that Nevada’s laws do not clearly prohibit using a former uniform in campaign imagery.  Supporters will see this as vindication: Lombardo avoided a precedent-setting censure, cleared his name legally, and refocused attention on governing instead of legal wrangling.

In politics, perception matters. Critics will argue he “dodged a bullet.” Yet the commission’s split 5–3 vote in favor of the agreed terms suggests that even among regulators, there was hesitance to stretch vague law into harsh punishment.  Lombardo now has the chance to move past this legal chapter and demonstrate that when he ran as a lawman, it was for service—not optics.

Original source: The Nevada Independent 

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