Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo was suspected of running a red light in Las Vegas. Despite the police officer stopping him, Lombardo was let go without a citation.
Footage from the officer’s body camera has been shared on social media, showing that Lombardo was allowed to leave shortly after identifying himself.
Now, Democrats have raised questions about whether Lombardo received preferential treatment from the officer.
However, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association said the officers don’t write everybody a ticket.
Lombardo Was Stopped in His Ford Pickup This Spring
According to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the incident occurred on May 15, when Lombardo was in a Ford pickup truck with his wife, Donna, in the front passenger seat near Mandalay Bay.
A Metropolitan Police Department body-camera video showed a police sergeant stopping Lombardo for a suspected red light violation. However, after a brief conversation, the governor was let go without a citation.
After approaching Lombardo’s pickup truck, the sergeant said:
“Hello. How are you doing, sir?”
“Good,” Lombardo replied.
The sergeant said:
“The reason I’m stopping you is for the…”
That was when the governor interrupted, saying:
“I’m Joe Lombardo.”
Continuing his statement, the sergeant said:
“I’m aware. For the red light violation back there. Your right turn onto Giles…”
However, the governor interrupted again. He said:
“Come on, man.”
Hearing that reply, the sergeant concluded the conversation. He said:
“You are good to go, sir. Appreciate you. Have a good day.”
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“Example of an Abuse of Power”
The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, Athar Haseebullah, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that Lombardo had taken advantage of his position. He stated:
“Hypocrisy from politicians isn’t exactly breaking news, but Governor Lombardo attempting to flex his political muscle after potentially running a red light would be an obvious example of an abuse of power, especially as his office continues to rail against Nevadans disregarding traffic laws.”
After the video was made public, the Nevada State Democratic Party issued a press release that stated:
“Lombardo was caught using his position of power to avoid accountability after breaking the law and being pulled over by a Metro Police officer trying to do their job.”
The Democratic Governors Association also did not hold back from releasing a statement, saying that the video “is more proof that Joe Lombardo is a corrupt and out-of-touch politician who thinks he can play by a different set of rules than everyday Nevadans.”
Lombardo Denies Receiving Preferential Treatment
The governor’s campaign released a statement on Tuesday regarding the police stop. It read:
“Two months ago, Governor Lombardo and his wife were briefly pulled over on their way to the airport by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department over a question about whether Governor Lombardo had come to a complete stop while turning. Governor Lombardo spoke with the officer, fully complied with all instructions, and was promptly on his way. He remains grateful for the professionalism of the officer involved and for the service of law enforcement officers across Nevada.”
The governor’s campaign also told the Las Vegas Review-Journal by email that Lombardo did not seek special treatment. It read:
“As the officer approached the vehicle, he introduced himself to Governor Lombardo, who responded in kind by simply saying, ‘Joe Lombardo,’ as a matter of courtesy.”
“At no point did the Governor invoke his office and seek — or expect — preferential treatment.”
Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, a union that also represents Metro officers, said “thousands” of such motorists are let off. Not everyone gets a ticket. He said:
“It is an absolutely nothing car stop. Thousands of those happen every month. We don’t write everybody a ticket.”
He added:
“The officer pulled him over, immediately knows it is the governor, immediately doesn’t need to identify him because he knows who he is, knows he probably doesn’t have a suspended driver’s license and that, advised him why he pulled him over and told him to take care. If he wasn’t the governor, no one would care about the hundreds of other stops that are done the same way.”