Governor Lombardo faced scrutiny from the Nevada Commission on Ethics for wearing his Sheriff’s uniform during his campaign. The commission fined him $20,000 and issued a censure, citing 68 willful violations of ethics laws related to his campaign materials featuring the uniform. Lombardo’s attorneys argued that the penalties were excessive, as the infractions were based on just four social media images. They contended that no state law forbade wearing the uniform in campaign materials. Lombardo had served as a nonpartisan sheriff in Clark County before becoming governor, and he didn’t have to resign from his position to run for office. The commission initially sought over $1.6 million in penalties but settled on the $20,000 fine and censure.
