A Nevada state ethics panel has moved forward with a case against Attorney General Aaron Ford, citing allegations of accepting luxury international trips and using official social media accounts to boost his gubernatorial campaign.
Credible Evidence Found in Complaints
The review panel of the Nevada Commission on Ethics determined that two complaints from September provide sufficient credible evidence for the full commission to issue an opinion. The consolidated complaints accuse Ford of leveraging his official attorney general social media accounts to promote private campaign pages, including links to donation portals.
Additional claims involve Ford accepting international trips worth over $35,000 in 2023 and 2024, funded by the Attorney General Alliance, a nonprofit backed by corporate donors—some facing regulation or litigation in his office. Records show Ford spent one-third of 2024 traveling out of state.
The allegations cite violations of four Nevada ethics law subsections, including unwarranted privileges, using the office for personal gain, government resource misuse, and self-benefit or influencing subordinates.
Ford’s Office Responds
Ford maintains he acted ethically. “The Attorney General respects the Ethics Commission and is confident that it will find that he acted in accordance with all ethical rules,” stated Alcinia Whiters, spokesperson for the attorney general’s office.
Whiters dismissed social media misuse claims as politically motivated, noting the complaint came from former Clark County GOP Chair Bernard Zadrowski, who campaigned for a U.S. Attorney position reportedly supported by Gov. Joe Lombardo. She highlighted that Ford’s office ceased tagging his personal account upon awareness of the issue.
On the trips, Whiters affirmed compliance with ethics rules. Ford chaired the bipartisan Attorney General Alliance, addressing interstate issues like human and drug trafficking and cybercrime. He also attended National Association of Attorneys General meetings. Destinations included South Africa, South Korea, Poland, Israel, Macau, Singapore, France, and Mexico. The trips appear in his annual campaign finance disclosures, and Ford backed disclosure legislation as a state senator in 2015.
“While Republican opponents, including Governor Lombardo, will push a false political narrative, AG Ford is focused on keeping Nevadans safe,” Whiters added. “His leadership has led to legislation, litigation, and prosecutions that have addressed reckless social media harms, won record opioid settlements, fought gun and fentanyl smuggling, and put criminals in jail.”
Election-Year Timing and Context
The panel’s decision occurs amid an election year, with Ford leading the Democratic primary for governor in June. A win would pit him against Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo, who recently settled a case over using his sheriff’s badge in 2021 campaign materials with a $5,000 civil penalty for a non-willful violation.
Commissioners Scott Scherer and Teresa Lowry approved the referral, with John Moran III absent. “Aaron Ford has disgraced his office and made a mockery of public service,” said John Burke, spokesman for the pro-Lombardo Better Nevada PAC. “He has no business leading our state and is wholly unfit to serve the people of Nevada.”
The commission now proceeds with further review of the consolidated case.
