Recall leader files complaint against Reno mayor

SPARKS, Nev. - A man leading a recall effort against Reno Mayor Jeff Griffin has filed a complaint with the Secretary of State's office concerning Griffin's 1999 disclosure of campaign contributions.

Mike Robinson sent a letter to the secretary of state last week stating that Griffin did not file the correct form on Jan. 15 for money he raised last year.

Nevada law requires a candidate to turn in an individual campaign contribution report if he or she receives more than $10,000 in a year. Griffin instead submitted a ''Disposition of Unspent Contributions'' form stating, ''Although not required, I am disclosing contributions of $21,980 since Jan. 15, 1999.''

''The form he used is not the correct form as they were not unspent contributions but new contributions for old expenses,'' Robinson wrote.

According to the Reno City Clerk's office, Griffin was not required to submit an itemized report of his 1999 contributions because the money he did raise was to retire his 1998 campaign debt and he has not declared candidacy this year.

Griffin later indicated that he intended to file an itemized report on Aug. 25 when the first period of 2000 campaign contributions must be recorded.

However, Councilwoman Sherrie Doyle, who also ran in 1998 and raised $12,325 to retire her campaign debt, did submit the required form. Doyle is the subject of an investigation of the Nevada Department of Investigation for private loans that she received which totaled over $10,000 from a Reno woman. The NDI investigation was requested by the Reno Police Department.

Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller indicated that his office has discussed the matter with the Attorney General, but refused to comment specifically on the matter.

However, Heller did mention that disclosure has been a major issue of his office.

''We expect all candidates to comply. In my opinion, the laws are plain in dealing with this issue,'' Heller told the Sparks Tribune.

Griffin was unavailable for comment because he is attending an International Mayors Conference in Israel.

However, City Clerk Don Cook previously said he believed Griffin was sincere in complying with a gray area in Nevada law since he opted to designate his amount raised on the form he submitted.

Cook said the Reno city attorney's office agrees with the interpretation that since Griffin is an incumbent, who hasn't shown an intent to run for office this year that he is not required to submit an itemized report.

''I think the effort has made every effort to comply,'' Cook said. ''He tried to put a square peg in a round hole.''

Cook said he would like to see the Legislature clarify the law to clear the ambiguity.