When Your Campaign Becomes Your Legal Defense Team
State Senator Edgar Flores was found completely unconscious behind the wheel of his running car at a Las Vegas traffic light on September 12th. But the real story isn’t just the arrest – it’s what happened next. His campaign is now investigating the police department’s conduct.
That’s right. His campaign staff is conducting what sounds like a legal investigation into law enforcement officers who were just doing their job. Most people hire defense attorneys for that kind of work. But apparently, when you’re a politician, your campaign donors get to pay for your legal defense strategy, too.
What Actually Happened
Body camera footage shows the whole thing. Senator Flores, a Democrat representing northeastern Clark County, was completely unresponsive in his driver’s seat. His car was running, in drive, with his foot on the brake. Officers flashed their lights at him and banged on his window repeatedly before he finally woke up, looking confused and disoriented.
When questioned, Flores struggled to answer basic questions or remember his own address. He admitted to having “one beer” around midnight.
After checking his ID and realizing Flores was a state senator, you can hear one officer tell another to “make sure we run him through all the tests.” You can also hear him say “make sure we’re doing everything right.” The officers knew this high-profile arrest would be under a microscope and wanted every procedure followed to the letter.
Flores failed the tests and was arrested.
He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center but released without posting bail or appearing before a judge, which is being reported as standard under Nevada law. No formal charges have been filed yet.
The Campaign’s Bizarre Response
Here’s where things get weird for anyone who believes in basic accountability. Instead of a defense attorney making statements on his behalf, Flores’ campaign released a statement making contradictory claims and suggesting they’re conducting their own investigation into police conduct.
They claim his breathalyzer test came back at 0.0 and insist the blood test will too. But police say he refused the preliminary breath test at the scene. Someone’s story doesn’t add up.
More concerning is their statement that they’re “reviewing whether his rights and privacy were properly respected.” Here’s what’s really weird about this: these are the kinds of statements you’d normally expect from a defense attorney, not a campaign team.
When defense lawyers make claims about police conduct or breathalyzer results, they can be held accountable. They face professional standards, potential bar discipline, and direct cross-examination in court. But when campaign staff make these same types of legal claims, who’s actually responsible?
If these statements about the breathalyzer results or police procedures turn out to be false, there’s no professional accountability. Campaign spokespeople can’t be sanctioned by the bar association. They can’t be called to testify about their claims. It’s a way to make legal-sounding arguments while avoiding the responsibility that comes with actual legal representation.
It creates this bizarre accountability gap where serious claims about law enforcement conduct are being made by people who face no professional consequences for being wrong.
Why This Should Concern Conservatives
This case highlights two problems that drive conservatives crazy about today’s politicians. First, the suggestion that somehow investigating a potentially impaired driver might violate someone’s rights. Second, and more troubling, is using campaign resources – meaning donor money – to essentially mount a legal defense.
Flores is a practicing attorney. He knows how this works. If he believes the police acted improperly, he can hire a defense lawyer or file a complaint through proper channels. But that’s not what’s happening here.
Instead, his campaign – funded by people who thought they were supporting his political activities – is now making statements about investigating law enforcement. That’s not what donors signed up for when they wrote those checks.
Conservative principles demand equal treatment under the law and responsible use of campaign funds. When elected officials start using their political operations as personal legal defense teams, that crosses a line most voters wouldn’t be comfortable with.
The Bigger Picture
The senator’s team says he was tired after “a long day of work, community events, evening exercise, and a late dinner.”
Being tired might explain nodding off for a few seconds. But this wasn’t just tired. Flores was completely unconscious at a traffic light, so deep under that officers had to flash lights and pound on his window repeatedly to wake him up. He was like Sleeping Beauty waiting for Prince Charming, except instead of a fairy tale castle, he was in two tons of metal on a public street.
Even if alcohol wasn’t involved, there are plenty of other substances that could cause someone to pass out while driving. The toxicology report will tell us what really happened.
What Happens Next
Flores has a status hearing scheduled for January 12th. The toxicology report should be available by then. That will tell us his actual blood alcohol level and whether other substances were involved.
But the damage to trust may already be done. When politicians use their campaigns to investigate law enforcement officers who were responding to a public safety incident, they’re sending a message that different rules apply to them.
What Conservatives Can Do
First, demand transparency. The body camera footage is public. The eventual toxicology report should be too. No special treatment, no sealed records, no backroom deals.
Second, ask questions about campaign finance. If Flores is using campaign funds to investigate police conduct related to his personal legal issues, voters deserve to know. Campaign donors have a right to expect their money goes toward legitimate political activities, not personal legal defense.
Third, support equal justice under the law. Whether Flores is ultimately convicted or cleared, the investigation should follow the same procedures as any other DUI case. And his legal defense should be handled by lawyers, not campaign staff.
Finally, remember this at election time. Voters deserve representatives who take responsibility for their actions and handle their personal legal issues through proper channels, not ones who use their political operations as personal defense teams.
The real test isn’t whether Flores made a mistake that night. We all make mistakes. The test is whether he handles the consequences like any other citizen would have to do – with a real lawyer, not a campaign statement.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
