CITIZEN OUTREACH 04/16/2014

Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller:
Working To Silence His Critics (For You!)
By Jonathan Keim
NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE
April 15, 2014 11:43 AM

The Left’s feverish national battle to silence its critics is escalating in Nevada. Attorney General candidate Ross Miller recently solemnly vowed to attack a conservative advocacy group, the State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF), after it dared to call him out for living the high life:

Miller, who as secretary of state is Nevada’s chief elections official, last month threatened to pursue “every legal option” to force SGLF to disclose its donors. The group’s ad and its website attack Miller, the state AG candidate, for freebies he has amassed while in office. “I will continue to review every legal option to compel this front group to reveal its special-interest donors,” Miller said in March. Miller was upset about the foundation’s $500,000 campaign that, in part, exposes the secretary of state for taking $60,000 in gifts from a variety of donors, many of them corporate contributors.

Miller appears to have already started attacking SGLF. A left-wing organization run by Miller’s former deputy, Matt Griffin, filed an election complaint against SGLF about ten days after Miller made his public threats. But Miller is the chief elections official in Nevada. Aside from the clear conflict of interest and the fact that Miller has already pre-judged the issue, Miller’s threats make this situation particularly dangerous to free speech. I’m getting shivers just thinking about the chilling effects.

But what does SGLF’s oh-so-nefarious issue ad actually say?

“He lives the life. You pay the tab. Tell Ross Miller to stop living the high-life at your expense,” urges the SGLF issue ad. That message is accompanied by pictures of Miller posing with ear-biting former boxing champ Mike Tyson and a curvy Playboy playmate, and attending glitzy celebrity receptions.

Thankfully, SGLF is fighting back with its own disclosure request:

The foundation has filed an open records request with the secretary of state’s office seeking copies of all public records of the official calendar and the daily schedule of Miller between March 21, 2013, and March 27, 2014. The group wants emails regarding the mention or discussion of SGLF by Miller or his staff, and any records related to the Miller’s use of state-issued equipment, including cell phones, bill records of such phones, text messages, or any pictures stored, between March 1 and March 27. SGLF also has requested all communication between Miller and his former deputy of elections, as well as communication between Griffin and Miller’s staff.

Unlike Miller’s attempt to obtain membership lists through the electoral complaint system, however, SGLF’s request is lawful. Ross Miller must have taken the same First Amendment class as Lois Lerner and Richard Nixon.