New letters on their way to campaign deadbeats

A new round of letters is on their way to candidates who haven't filed required campaign expense and contribution reports.

A total of 29 candidates have so far failed to file the first in a series of three reports mandated by the state. Another 30 candidates have filed but, since they did so late, owe the state fines of varying sizes. Of those, 18 have either paid or made arrangements to pay.

The maximum penalty for not filing the reports is $5,000 for each of the three reports.

The fines start at $25 per day for the first week but quickly escalate to $100 per day. For those who have failed to file the first report at all, the total owed was $4,275 as of Friday.

Among those on that list are 19 Independent American Party candidates who are arguing they cannot be constitutionally required to file the information.

But also on the list are candidates such as veteran Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-North Las Vegas, who has failed for file his reports on time in several election cycles.

Kristi Geiser, campaign finance officer for Secretary of State Dean Heller, said the second set of letters to those candidates on the list were to go out this weekend.