CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s top election official is suing Americans for Prosperity, alleging the conservative group violated state election laws by not registering in the state or filing donor contribution reports.
A civil lawsuit filed late Friday by Secretary of State Ross Miller claims the group founded by billionaires Charles and David Koch engaged in “express advocacy” against Kelvin Atkinson, a state Senate candidate who won both the June primary and November general election.
Americans for Prosperity is a nonprofit advocacy group that spent millions on political ads around the nation in this year’s elections. In federal races, such groups avoid revealing donors by eliminating buzz words such as “elect” or “vote against” in their advertisements.
But Miller says state law is more stringent and any activity to influence an election requires disclosure.