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Newsbrief:
MPP
Files
New
Challenge
to
Drug
Czar's
Nevada
Campaigning
5/7/04
The Marijuana Policy Project (http://www.mpp.org), which bumped heads with drug czar John Walters during its unsuccessful marijuana legalization campaign in Nevada two years ago, is trying once again to reign in White House politicking against its initiatives. This year, MPP and is local affiliate, the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana (http://www.regulatemarijuana.org), are gathering signatures to put a modified version of the 2002 initiative on the ballot, and Walters has already shown up in the state to campaign against it.
But in the face of a ruling from the White House Office of Special Counsel that Walters was exempt from state law after MPP complained in 2002, Nevada Attorney General Brian Sandoval ruled that Walters need not file campaign expenses. Walters was exempt because he was acting within the scope of his official duties, Sandoval ruled. Sandoval's opinion is wrong, asserted MPP in its lawsuit, filed April 22. Walters indeed campaigned against the 2002 initiative, "with security detail in tow," MPP asserted. "[Walters] had a motorcade to shuttle him between television appearances in Las Vegas and Reno" and the federal officials racked up hotel expenses, MPP said. If Walters was campaigning against the 2002 initiative -- he was -- and if he campaigns against this year's model -- he already has -- he should have to play by the same rules as everyone else, MPP told the Nevada Supreme Court. It is a question of "significant statewide impact in the regulating of [Nevada's] own election," the group told the justices. MPP seeks to get a ruling from the Supreme Court that will require state officials to require that Walters play by the rules. As importantly, the MPP move puts Walters on notice that his attacks on reform initiatives will not go unchallenged.
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