admin
The political mud in Nevada just got a fresh coat. The Republican Governors Association has reportedly launched an ad called “Betrayed” accusing Attorney General Aaron Ford of writing a last‑minute 2017 amendment that removed caps on contingency fees — a change that, the ad says, helped his former firm cash in on big opioid settlements. The spot, the RGA says, comes with a seven‑figure media buy and lands squarely in the middle of the tight governor’s race against Governor Joe Lombardo.
What the ad alleges
The message is simple and meant to sting: Attorney General Aaron Ford, then a top Senate leader, pushed through a late amendment in 2017 that loosened limits on how much outside trial lawyers could collect on contingency contracts. After Ford became Attorney General, Nevada hired outside counsel to handle opioid cases. One of those firms was Eglet Prince, where Ford once worked. The ad accuses him of helping write a rule that made millions possible for his old firm.
The RGA’s line — echoed in the ad and in campaign statements — is blunt: call it a sweetheart deal, call it cronyism. Reporters have tied the amendment to later big settlements, and local reporting shows Eglet receiving large contingency fees in Nevada opioid cases. That said, public confirmation of the ad creative and the precise seven‑figure buy is limited in the public record; responsible outlets should still seek the ad file and buy records from the RGA before repeating spending figures as fact.
What the public record shows
Contemporaneous news reporting from the legislative session shows the 2017 change did happen. The amendment removed fixed dollar caps and shifted to a percentage formula for contingency fees. Nevada later took part in large opioid settlements — the state’s share figures were sizable — and court and county materials list settlement totals used in allocating fees. Local reporting indicates Eglet and related firms received substantial fees from those settlements.
That chain of events — legislative change, Ford’s election as Attorney General, hiring outside counsel, and large fee payments — creates an ugly look, whether or not laws were broken. The key documents everyone should see: the 2017 conference committee records, procurement files and scoring sheets for selecting outside counsel, recusal or conflict disclosures, and the fee allocation and invoice records that show who was paid what.
Why Nevada voters should care
This is about trust and money. Nevada families pay the bills. When a top official who once worked for a private firm helps change the rules, then signs the state up for contracts that benefit his old firm, voters deserve answers — fast and on the record. The timing of the ad is political, sure. But politics doesn’t erase the obligation to explain how taxpayer dollars were spent and why outside counsel won the contracts they did.
Governor Joe Lombardo’s team will use this to paint a contrast on ethics and fiscal stewardship. Attorney General Aaron Ford’s campaign needs to explain the decision‑making trail and produce the documents that clear up any appearance of a payoff. Plain talk, paper trails, and transparency are the remedy here — not spin.
Bottom line
The RGA ad thrusts a serious set of questions into the middle of the Nevada governor’s race: did legislative changes help set the table for friends to get rich, and did public officials follow the rules when the state hired outside lawyers? Nevadans deserve straight answers and full records. If Attorney General Aaron Ford has nothing to hide, he should hand over the files and let the public judge. If he doesn’t, this ad won’t be the last time voters hear the word “betrayed.”
