Perkins accused of violating campaign report law

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins and his employer, the city of Henderson, have been accused of violating Nevada campaign reporting laws.

Lee Wayne Haynes has filed a complaint with the Secretary of State's office charging that Henderson should report "unusual expenditures" to support Perkins, the city's deputy chief of police, in his repeated runs for office. It charges that neither the city nor Perkins has reported those contributions.

"I allege that the expenditures by the City of Henderson, Nev., on the many candidacies of its employee Richard Perkins, dating perhaps back to 1992, are in fact contributions of services in-kind and require reporting to the secretary of state by both Perkins and the City of Henderson, Nevada," states the complaint filed by Haynes.

"I contend that the city of Henderson, Nev., made unusual expenditures of city funds on the behalf of Perkins' candidacy to support that candidacy and to maintain Perkins in elected office for the unfair benefit of the city of Henderson, Nevada," according to the complaint.

He said the city was "acting as a political action committee on behalf of Perkins" and should be required to register as a political action committee.

He referred specifically to the fact Henderson has been paying legal fees in the fight over whether Perkins is barred from seeking re-election because of the federal Hatch Act.

That act prohibits partisan political activity by officials who oversee expenditure of federal funds. The Henderson police department receives large federal grants but city officials and Perkins say his job has been set up so he doesn't have any control over those funds.

Perkins said in October he would begin picking up those costs rather than the city.

Contact Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or 687-8750.