MARIJUANA GROUP SAYS FEDS BROKE NEVADA CAMPAIGN LAW

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- A group that backed a marijuana ballot question
rejected by voters in November says the federal government violated Nevada
law by not filing reports on money spent opposing the question.

Robert Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, filed a
complaint with Secretary of State Dean Heller alleging that federal drug
czar John Walters failed to submit his campaign finance report.

Heller on Tuesday sent a letter to Walters asking him to respond to the
allegations. The secretary of state said the law requires every person or
group advocating the passage or defeat of a ballot question to submit the
reports.

The ballot issue would have legalized possession of up to 3 ounces of
marijuana.

As of October's campaign filing, Kampia's organization had spent $1.2
million to qualify the petition for the ballot and to advocate its passage.
A final report was due this week at the secretary of state's office.

Opponents of the marijuana petition reported in October they collected
$147,800. Their final report also was due this week.

Walters didn't file a report in October and no final report had been
received as of Thursday.

Kampia, in his complaint, said there is no doubt that Walters spent money
in opposing the ballot question. He said Walters even traveled to Nevada
"with a security detail in tow" to fight the plan.

Kampia also said Walters "authorized and approved a series of
anti-marijuana commercials which aired virtually around the clock in Nevada
during the latter months of the campaign."


Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jan 2003
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Webpage:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/01/16/state2306ES
T0209.DTL
Copyright: 2003 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: letters@sfchronicle.com
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