Recent reporting on Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford’s 420 days of out-of-state travel raises serious and reasonable questions about the level of transparency his office has provided.
As a lifelong Democrat who believes in good government and accountability, I’m troubled by the lack of information on the purposes of these trips all over the world. Many on the right are making this a political talking point, but my concern as an average Nevada voter is simpler — we should expect transparency from our elected officials, regardless of party affiliation.
Public service is a public trust. When officials spend significant time away from the state they were elected to serve, taxpayers have every right to understand why. What was the purpose of these trips? What concrete benefits did they bring back to Nevada? How did travel to places such as Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii or Ghana advance our state’s interests?
I’m not suggesting that all travel is inappropriate. Our attorney general may well have legitimate reasons to represent Nevada at conferences, build important partnerships or address legal matters that benefit our state. But 420 days is substantial, and the lack of detailed explanations makes it impossible for voters such as me to assess whether this travel served Nevada well.
This is where transparency matters most. A comprehensive accounting of these trips, their purposes, outcomes and benefits to Nevada, would address these concerns and effectively. If Mr. Ford’s travel delivered real value to our state, he should be proud to share those accomplishments. If some trips were less essential, acknowledging that would also demonstrate the kind of honest leadership we need.
Democrats have long championed government transparency. We’ve criticized Republicans when they’ve fallen short of this standard. We cannot apply different rules to our party. Good government principles don’t have a political affiliation.
The solution here is straightforward: Mr. Ford should provide the public with detailed explanations of this travel. Until that happens, this issue will continue to damage public trust and distract from the important work our attorney general should be doing for Nevada families.
We can and should do better.
Susan Brager is a member of the Nevada Board of Regents. She previously served on the Clark County School Board.
