Nevada AG Aaron Ford spent $270K on out-of-state travel since 2019

FIRST ON FOX: Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat running for Nevada governor in November, has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel expenses since taking office, drawing criticism from political rivals as he seeks re-election in 2026.

Situation records It shows Ford has spent close to $270,000 on airfare since taking office in 2019. When combined with the more than $140,000 Ford accepted from travel and stays sponsored by groups such as the Democratic Attorneys General Association, the total travel amount comes to over $410,000 in trips over 7 years.

In 2024 alone, Ford spent $60,730 on trips to 16 different cities; of that, $2,819 went to Secrets Puerto Los Cabos, a luxury resort in Mexico, and another $11,992 went to Martha’s Vineyard, a popular resort that attracts wealthy clients.

While it’s unclear how much of the figure represents in-state travel, the figures are consistent with reports It was stated that Ford spent about 137 days away from his state in 2024, and this figure was confirmed by his office.

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In addition, Ford’s records of hotel travel stays since his election show that he spent nearly 20% of his career as Nevada AG out of state. reporting A report from the Nevada Independent found that Ford spent at least 420 days out of state during his term.

Costs and free time exceed what is needed for the job, according to at least one Republican strategist.

“High Flyer Aaron Ford treated his job as attorney general like a part-time job for more than a year during his tenure, vacationing on the money of special interests and campaign donors,” Better Nevada PAC spokesman John Burke said in a comment to Fox News Digital. he said.

Ford is also under investigation by the Nevada Ethics Commission over whether he solicited improper gifts or used his office to obtain improper benefits for himself, according to documents obtained. by local outlets.

John Sadler, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said the reported trip fell within the scope of campaign activities and would not benefit from government funding. Sadler also noted that Ford travels to carry out his duties and coordinate with law enforcement agencies across the country. Under Nevada state law, candidates are allowed to use campaign funds to conduct official business.

“He has attended several meetings for bipartisan groups such as NAAG and AGA, an organization through which Attorney General Ford was selected by his attorney general colleagues to serve as president in 2024,” Sadler said, referring to the National Association of Attorneys General and the Attorney General Alliance, respectively. he said.

“These events allowed AG Ford to discuss issues critical to Nevadans, such as human and sex trafficking, cybercrime and fraud, and the opioid crisis,” Sadler added.

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The air traffic control tower at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 19, 2020. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Before becoming attorney general, Ford served in the Nevada State Legislature, leading the chamber as majority leader from 2017-2019. Before that, he served as minority leader from 2015-2016 and majority deputy from 2013-2014.

Ford’s travel habits didn’t start out expensive. His trips outside Nevada in 2019 and 2020 totaled less than $15,000 each year but soon increased significantly. He spent $29,189 outside Nevada in 2021 and $52,630 in 2022.

Although past attorneys general have also made trips out of state, Ford stands out compared to his predecessor, Republican Adam Laxalt.

In his final year as AG, Laxalt spent less than $5,000 out of state; which was less than 1% of their total spending that year.

Ford’s Republican opponent, Gov. Joe Lombardo, reacted to the news with a statement from his campaign.

“Governor Joe Lombardo has delivered real results for Nevada: created more than 40,000 new jobs, generated billions of dollars in record economic investment, provided historic funding for education, expanded affordable housing, and eliminated hundreds of burdensome regulations, all while showing up every day to get the job done,” Halee Dobbins, spokeswoman for the Joe Lombardo Campaign, told Fox News Digital.

“As our state moves in the right direction, Governor Lombardo is committed to building on that progress and continuing to improve the lives of all Nevadans. While hard-working Nevada families struggle, Part-Time Aaron Ford spent 420 days on special interest-funded travel and collecting taxpayer-funded stipends. Aaron Ford’s record clearly shows that he is focused on himself, not the people he was elected to serve.”

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Attorney General Aaron D. Ford. (LE Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

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Burke blasted Ford for not providing reasons for his travel expenses or contextualizing his time away from the office.

“Now, in legal jeopardy from the Nevada Ethics Commission, he still refuses to be transparent with the people of our state about this excessive travel spree. Ford has disparaged his office and made a mockery of the public service; he has no business running Nevada,” Burke said.