Former Reno City Councilmember Paul McKenzie has filed an election violation complaint against the Political Action Committee Operation Sunlight, which is associated with conservative donor Robert Beadles.

Paul McKenzie has leveled serious allegations, stating that the PAC has not disclosed any political expenditures with the state since the first quarter of 2022. In that report, Beadles was the sole registered officer for the PAC. 

Under state law, political campaigns must file quarterly Contributions & Expenses (C&E) reports during election years and one C&E report per non-election year. 

McKenzie points to the PAC's Facebook ads as proof of political spending because the ads explicitly call to action to either vote or support candidates. 

McKenzie underscores the importance of adhering to state law, saying that while he disagrees with Operation Sunlight's politics and attack ads, the law is clear. If you operate under the guise of a PAC, you are obligated to report your contributions and expenditures quarterly through the Secretary of State's office in Nevada.

"The law doesn't say that you can't lie about another candidate, but it does say if you're going to lie about another candidate, you need to disclose where the money is coming from for those lies and how that money is being spent to spread those lies," said McKenzie 

The public Facebook ads library shows evidence of political content. Search for "Operation Sunlight" in the ads category about "social issues, elections, or politics." There, you can find dozens of flagged Operation Sunlight ads that advocate for or against election candidates. 

Many of these ads have been removed because they do not follow Facebook's policies. The ads library also shows the amount spent on each ad.

We reached out to Robert Beadles, and he responded to McKenzie's allegations with the following statement:

"He can look forward to meeting my attorneys for filing frivolous, fabricated statements under oath," said Robert Beadles. 

McKenzie calls upon the Nevada Secretary of State to conduct a thorough investigation and refer the matter to the Nevada Attorney General's office for immediate legal action and enforcement.