Former LVCVA exec to pay nearly $14,000 for ethics violation

CARSON CITY–A former Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority executive has agreed to pay a nearly $14,000 sanction for an ethics violation stemming from improper use of Southwest Airlines gift cards.

Brig Lawson, the former director of business partnerships for LVCVA, was at the heart of an investigation that revealed he’d purchased Southwest Airlines gift cards with agency funds and hidden the expenses.

The sanction was imposed as part of a Stipulated Agreement between Lawson and the Nevada Commission on Ethics. The commission, made up of eight appointed officials, is tasked with ensuring Nevada’s public employees and officers maintain integrity and are free from conflicts of interest.

The agreement includes a $5,000 fine for the violation—the maximum—along with $8,881.36, which is twice the amount of financial benefit realized from the misconduct.

A statement announcing the agreement noted, “The Commission hopes the severity of these sanctions will highlight the importance of the Ethics Law applicable to all public officers and employees and reflect the Commission’s commitment to the public to hold all public officers and employees accountable for conflicts between public duties and private interests.”

It went on to encourage members of the public and public officers and employees to report similar misconduct or ethical violations for investigation and resolution. More information on reporting is available at http://ethics.nv.gov.