Nevada fails in disclosure requirements

CARSON CITY -- Nevada is among 21 states getting an "F" for public disclosure requirements for their governors in a national survey.

The state ranked 41st among the 50 states in rankings released by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization based in Washington, D.C.

Nevada got poor marks for not requiring more specific information on public disclosure forms and not auditing the disclosure reports to determine whether they're accurate and complete.

Also, the state lost points for not requiring disclosure of exact investment income; not requiring exact figures for value of real property interests; and for a lack of clarity in reports on spouses' real property interests.

The report notes that governors sign legislation into law, recommend and approve state budgets, and have wide-ranging appointive powers, and requiring them to disclose their private financial ties could reveal possible conflicts of interest.

The report also says Nevada is one of 22 states that make their governors' financial statements available electronically.

Under a section labeled "gaffes and other disclosure woes," the study points out that Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons amended his financial disclosure filing earlier this year to include as "gifts" previously undisclosed donations to a legal defense fund set up to pay expenses related to an FBI inquiry into his association with a federal contractor while Gibbons was in Congress.

The center evaluated each state's financial disclosure law for governors with a 43-question survey totaling 100 points. Nevada got 48.5 points.