Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat running for governor in November, is facing criticism after public records and reporting showed he incurred more than $410,000 in travel-related expenses since taking office in 2019 and spent hundreds of days outside Nevada during his tenure.
State records reviewed by reporters show Ford charged nearly $270,000 for airfare and out-of-state hotel stays. When combined with more than $140,000 in travel and lodging paid by outside groups — including the Democratic Attorneys General Association — the total exceeds $410,000 over seven years.
Aaron Ford, left, pictured alongside a dock at Martha's Vineyard, right.(Getty Images)
In 2024 alone, Ford’s records show $60,730 in travel to 16 cities. Notable individual charges included $2,819 for a stay at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos in Mexico and $11,992 for lodging on Martha’s Vineyard. The office confirmed reporting that Ford spent as many as 137 days out of state in 2024, and independent reporting from The Nevada Independent calculated at least 420 days away from Nevada across his tenure — roughly 20% of his time as attorney general.
Critics Raise Questions
Republican opponents and outside groups have criticized the costs and time away from the state as excessive. John Burke, spokesman for the Better Nevada PAC, said Ford had "treated his position as attorney general like a part-time job," alleging travel was funded by special interests and campaign donors and calling for greater transparency.
The air traffic control tower at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas March 19, 2020.
"High-Flying Aaron Ford has treated his position as attorney general like a part-time job, vacationing on the dime of special interests and campaign donors for well over a year of his tenure,"
Ford's Office Responds
John Sadler, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said many of the trips were campaign-funded and not paid from state coffers. He added that Ford traveled to perform official duties and to coordinate with law enforcement partners nationwide, and that he attended meetings of bipartisan organizations such as the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and the Attorney General Alliance (AGA), which Ford was elected to chair in 2024.
"These events allowed AG Ford to discuss critical issues for Nevadans, such as human and sex trafficking, cybercrime and fraud, and the opioid crisis," Sadler said.
Context And Comparison
Ford’s travel spending was relatively modest in 2019 and 2020 (under $15,000 each year) before rising to $29,189 in 2021 and $52,630 in 2022, and increasing further thereafter. Republican critics compared Ford’s record to his predecessor, Adam Laxalt, who spent under $5,000 on out-of-state travel in his final year as attorney general.
Attorney General Aaron D. Ford
Ethics Inquiry
The Nevada Commission on Ethics is reviewing whether Ford solicited improper gifts or used his office for personal benefit, according to documents obtained by local outlets. That inquiry, along with the travel disclosures, is expected to be a point of contention as Ford campaigns for governor.
As the gubernatorial race approaches, the travel totals, the number of days away from Nevada, and the ethics probe are likely to remain central issues in the campaign. Ford’s office maintains that the travel advanced official duties and participation in national law-enforcement collaborations.
