by Sean Whaley, Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY–An inquiry into the use of campaign funds by Assemblywoman Kathy McClain in 2009 to pay her Clark County retirement contributions while serving as a lawmaker has been expanded to include additional expenditures as well.
In a letter sent today to McClain’s attorney, the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office has expanded the inquiry to include use of campaign funds dating back to 2005.
The letter was sent to Las Vegas attorney Todd Bice seeking an explanation of the use of the campaign funds.
The initial inquiry focused only on 2009, when McClain used about $7,276 of her campaign fund to pay her Public Employee Retirement System contribution while on leave from her Clark County job to serve in the Legislature. The inquiry was made by the Secretary of State’s office after a complaint was filed by a resident in McClain’s Assembly 15 district.
Pam duPré, press secretary for Secretary of State Ross Miller, said the letter sent today is seeking information about several other expenditures from McClain’s campaign fund over the past five years.
They include: a $5,002 payment to the PERS system in August 2005; a $1,900 payment to Clark County Risk Management in February 2007; a $4,436 payment to PERS in May 2007; and a $1,945 payment to Clark County Risk Management in February 2009. The payments were reported on McClain’s contribution and expense reports filed with the office.
These expenditures are in addition to the questions regarding a $7,276 payment to PERS in July 2009, and a $4,250 payment for rent while living in Carson City dating from February 2009, that were cited in the complaint received by the Secretary of State’s office.
The letter asks for an explanation about the use of the funds in each case.
DuPré said a meeting with McClain, a term-limited Democrat now seeking a seat in the state Senate, or her attorney, is expected to be conducted next week.
Neither McClain nor her attorney could be reached for comment.
