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DrugScreening.org


 
Drug Czar Challenged About Anti-Marijuana Lobbying
January 21, 2003

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News Summary

John Walters, head of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), is being asked to account for expenditures used to campaign against Nevada's marijuana ballot initiative, the Associated Press reported Jan. 17.

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) filed a complaint with the Nevada Secretary of State about Walters' activities leading up to last November, when voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have legalized marijuana.

In its complaint to Secretary of State Dean Heller, MPP said that Walters violated Nevada law by failing to submit a campaign-finance report showing the funds spent opposing the initiative.

Walters made three appearances in Nevada to fight the proposal. In addition, his office ran a series of anti-marijuana commercials in the state.

Nevada law requires any individual or group advocating the passage or defeat of a ballot question to submit a finance report.

Heller has asked Walters to respond to the issues raised in the group's complaint. Tom Riley, a spokesman for ONDCP said it would be "silly" for Walters to file campaign-expenditure reports.

"Part of the job of the drug czar is to talk about the problem of drug abuse in America, which he feels would be worse with drug legalization," Riley said. "He doesn't file a campaign statement in each state he goes to."

Riley said staff lawyers are reviewing Heller's request. Deputy Secretary of State Susan Bilyeu said that federal law or a court ruling might exempt Walters from the reporting law.

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