The Nevada Secretary of State has released a report on Citizens for Justice (CFJ), an organization associated with the Nevada Justice Association (NJA). Filed on January 9, the report outlines law firm donations, including a $6,000 contribution from Battle Born Injury Lawyers, and political spending on candidates and causes.
According to the report, CFJ, the primary Political Action Committee (PAC) of NJA, raised $480,000 this quarter and $3.5 million for the year. This marks a significant increase from previous cycles. Key donations included $250,000 from Richard Harris Law Firm and $25,000 from Kemp Jones. CFJ spent $393,000 this quarter, primarily on contributions to other PACs and candidates. Notable expenditures included $130,000 to For Our Future and multiple $10,000 donations to Democratic legislative groups. Contributions were also made to Governor Lombardo’s candidate account.
Steve Yeager, Assembly Leader and partner at Battle Born Injury Lawyers, funded $80,000 to Ending Carson City Corruption—a PAC targeting Republican Heidi Kasama while presenting itself as a conservative group. Yeager also launched Citizens for Balanced Leadership with backing of $100,000 to target Republican Lisa Cole in Assembly District 4.
The Nevada Globe reported that Yeager voted for Assembly Bill 398 without disclosing his business and financial ties to the law firms he partners with. The bill benefits trial lawyers by restricting insurance companies from reducing liability coverage based on legal defense costs. Despite serving as vice chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Ethics, Yeager did not disclose his conflict of interest while advocating for the bill in the Legislature.
Auto insurance rates in Nevada are rising due to inflation, repair costs, fraud, litigation expenses, and high accident rates linked to relaxed alcohol laws. Nevada ranks fourth-highest in the U.S. for auto insurance costs; the average full-coverage policy costs $3,549 annually. Major insurers like Allstate and Farmers have increased rates by 10-20%. While all rate hikes require approval from the Nevada Division of Insurance, the Consumer Price Index for auto insurance rose 18.6% nationwide from 2023 to 2024 according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
According to its website, the Nevada Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing elections, business registrations, securities regulation, public records management while enforcing campaign finance laws. The office also appoints notaries and manages domestic partnerships.