INCLINE VILLAGE — Today Kristen Spees submitted evidence of rules violations committed by Congressman Mark Amodei to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). The OCE and its Board is an independent, non-partisan entity charged in assisting the House in upholding high standards of ethical conduct, reviewing allegations of misconduct against Members, officers, and staff of the United States House of Representatives and, in so doing, to serve the American people. The OCE is governed by an eight-person Board of Directors; members of the OCE Board are private citizens and cannot serve as members of Congress or work for the federal government.
On Saturday, October 18, 2014 on the morning of early voting in Nevada, beginning at 2:55 AM an advertisement atop of the Northern Nevada newspaper the “Nevada Appeal” displayed a website banner ad promoting Mark Amodei for Congress. The advertisement which displayed the text “Paid for by Amodei for Nevada” forwarded users to the Congressman’s Official Congressional website “amodei.house.gov,” violating the regulations as depicted in the most recent 2008 House Ethics Manual, under rules issued by the Committee on House Administration set forth in the Members’ Handbook and the Committees’ Handbook, located on page 131. The website advertisement could not be located by late evening on October 18, 2014, yet the destination URL link remains active to date.
Upon submitting this evidence to the Office of Congressional Ethics Spees stated:
“When I began my campaign for Congress earlier this year I promised to promote government transparency and accountability. In keeping a fair election, I’m dismayed that my opponent would be involved in these rules violations. Mr. Amodei has run for public office eight times, including three times for this current position. At this point in time as a career politician, he should know the rules set forth by his employer. In addition to knowing these rules as a reminder, all house and staff members are required to undergo annual ethics training. This campaign is already unbalanced. To direct voters directly to the congressional site tips the scales and makes for an unjust election. This may be viewed by some as a minuscule violation, yet it is a violation nonetheless. As a first time candidate, I pride myself on honesty, transparency, and accessibility. I will continue to follow the rules established for fair campaigning and I encourage the incumbent to do so as well.”
A copy of the submitted evidence to the Office of Congressional Ethics is here: Congressman Mark E. Amodei (NV-2) Complaint.
Kristen Spees is currently running for Nevada’s second congressional district and serves as an Estate Planning Attorney licensed in Nevada, California, and Hawaii performing wills and trusts at her family law firm.
For more information, please visit KristenSpees.com.
SOURCE: KristenSpees.com
