In 2023, prominent Nevada leaders embarked on extensive journeys to destinations spanning the globe courtesy of third-party organizations.
Among the nearly 70 lawmakers and statewide elected officials, Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager stood out as the most traveled, with visits to Rio de Janeiro, Bayeux, Oslo, Dublin, and Mexico City, among others, amounting to nearly $39,000 in value. Attorney General Aaron Ford’s trips to South Africa, Poland, Israel, and South Korea cost $45,000, funded by the Attorney General Alliance.
The revelations come from an analysis of financial disclosure reports covering activities in 2023. The study encompassed the value of trips, meetings, and events sponsored by external groups and reported by the state’s constitutional officers and lawmakers.
Democrats were more likely to report trips financed by third parties, with 42 Democrats disclosing an aggregate value of $242,000 compared to $39,000 reported by 25 Republicans. Absences from reported trips are Governor Joe Lombardo and outgoing Senate Minority Leader Heidi Seevers Gansert.
The financial disclosures, mandated by state law, require officials to list educational or informational meetings, events, or trips from the prior year, along with their sponsors and aggregate value. Some top contributors to these trips in 2023 were the attorneys general group at $45,000, the National Conference of State Legislatures at about $33,000, and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee at nearly $25,000.
While these funds cover a spectrum of expenses such as registration, lodging, meals, and travel, there are concerns regarding transparency and potential influence peddling. Ford defended the trips as vital for gathering information to combat crime and other issues, especially those with international dimensions.
Ford and Yeager also topped the list for the all-time value of reported trips, indicating a history of frequent travels compared to their counterparts. Ford emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational crime, arguing that such trips serve a crucial purpose in fostering partnerships and addressing global challenges.
The analysis also sheds light on the sponsors behind these trips, with the Attorney General Alliance emerging as a primary financier despite criticism for its ties to corporate donors. Ford maintained that these trips were solely aimed at advancing justice and serving citizens, dismissing concerns of undue influence.
Other groups like the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee provided free travel to elected officials. However, questions remain about the potential political motivations behind some trips, with examples like Assemblywoman Shea Backus’s trip to Washington, D.C., covered by a pro-abortion rights political action committee.
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