Assembly Leader Yeager Engages In Dirty Politics To Avoid Cleaning Up Carson City Corruption

The Globe has extensively reported on the lack of ethics, accountability and transparency in Carson City.

By design, Nevada’s legislative body is exempt from open records requests, further shielding lawmakers from scrutiny or transparency. In 2015, legislators approved a bill cementing their immunity, which shields their calendars, emails and communications from public records requests.

As a result, numerous ethical scandals have plagued legislative Democrats, forcing three state legislators to vacate their reelection campaigns. Despite the “Culture of Corruption,” not one Democratic official or candidate will support reforms that would inspire transparency, trust, and accountability. (see below)

In response to the scandals, Republican Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama introduced three bill draft requests (BDR) in March aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability to the Nevada legislature. Republican Governor Joe Lombardo openly expressed his support for the legislation.

Her first bill would provide a 72 hour window to review all legislation prior to final approval. Her second would provide that the legislature adhere to open meeting law, provide prompt response to public record requests, a line-item operations budget, and public disclosure of legislator’s conflict of interest. Her final bill would empower the govern with a line-item veto on appropriations and would limit state funding to nonprofits without other attachments.

Seems reasonable, unless you are the Democratic leader of the Assembly Steve Yeager (AD-9) who voted for a bill to benefit his law firm without disclosing his conflict of interest. In order to provide cover for his democratic colleagues, Yeager recently launched a scam pac to defeat Kasama and bury her attempts to clean up Carson City.

The latest campaign finance report for Yeager’s “Nevada Strong” PAC lists $80,000 in expenses for a scam PAC that has been running attack ads against Kasama. The PAC, ironically named “Ending Carson City Corruption”, is deceptively posing as a conservative group, despite being bankrolled by Yeager’s political organization. The PAC’s ad labels Kasama as a “RINO” (Republican in Name Only). Reports show that Yeager’s organization donated over three times to this scam PAC than to his own Assembly Caucus.

As if one scam PAC wasn’t enough, Yeager has now launched a second scam PAC entitled “Citizens for Balanced Leadership” in order to defeat Republican candidate Lisa Cole in Assembly District 4. The district is a red-leaning district, and the ads and texts from the scam PAC are financed entirely by Yeager’s Nevada Strong PAC” with a $100,000 donation.

The scam PAC is running the following ad and also mocks the idea of ethics reforms.

The ad above states, “When a person shows their true colors, believe them.” When Yeager engages in deceptive scams to defeat necessary and needed ethics reforms, Yeager has shown his true colors.

Additionally, if Yeager continues to lead a Democratic supermajority in the Assembly, and if Democrats pick up just one more seat in the Senate, there would be ZERO balance in the legislative body as Governor Lombard0’s veto pen would be rendered moot.

Due to the numerous ethics scandals, the Las Vegas Review-Journal asked every incumbent and candidate this question:

“Should the Legislature be subject to the open meeting law and the Nevada Public Records Act? Why or why not?”

Not one Democrat incumbent said yes and most refused to respond, with the exception of Shea Backus who said “no.”

Those hoping for answers from Democratic candidates seeking to join the legislature will be equally disappointed. Ryan Hampton, Jennifer Atlas, Sharifa Wahab, and Joe Dalia all refused to answer the question.

“Steve Yeager would rather continue to live in filth than let the world see him work a shovel,” said Better Nevada PAC spokesman John Burke.”He has presided over and participated in a Culture of Corruption in our State Legislature, and now he’s trying to punish those pushing those who would clean up his mess. Nevadans are through with Yeager and his corrupt colleagues, and they will hold them accountable at the ballot box on November 5th.”