When Conservative Commentators Go Too Far

Sometimes the people who claim to fight for truth and accountability lose their way. That’s what’s happening with Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks and his recent attacks on Nevada officials.

Joecks has built his reputation as a conservative watchdog. He’s supposed to hold politicians accountable and fight for limited government principles. But his recent behavior shows what happens when political commentary crosses the line into personal attacks and dishonest criticism.

Attacking the Messenger for Telling the Truth

The trouble started recently when Governor Lombardo’s spokesperson, Elizabeth Ray, explained what Assembly Bill 530 actually does.

AB530 gives new authority to the Clark County Commission to increase the gasoline tax through a program called Fuel Revenue Indexing. This wasn’t spin or political messaging. Ray was just stating the basic facts about what the bill allows.

But Joecks posted on X:

“And here’s the spin from @JosephMLombardo’s spox @elizabethrray. Lombardo didn’t sign a gas tax increase. He signed a bill giving the D-run Clark County Commission the ability to increase the gas tax. That’s a distinction without a difference.”

Here’s the thing : Ray was absolutely correct, and there IS a meaningful difference.

AB530 doesn’t create a new fuel tax, but continues fuel tax policy approved by voters in 2016. The bill doesn’t automatically raise taxes. It gives the Clark County Commission the authority to extend fuel revenue indexing through 2036, but they still have to vote on it with a two-thirds majority.

Ray was doing her job  by accurately explaining what legislation does. When someone tells you the truth about how a government process works, that’s not spin. That’s just good government communication.

If we don’t like the bill, it still has nothing to do with Ray.

Going After Staff Who Don’t Make Policy

Then Joecks did something even worse. He targeted Madeline Armstrong, who serves as Legislative Director in the Governor’s office.

Joecks wrote:

“Bills like this are why it’s a major concern that @JosephMLombardo‘s legislative director, Madeline Armstrong, previously worked for Gov. @SteveSisolak and the late-Sen. Harry Reid.“

This attack is completely unfair for several reasons.

First, Armstrong’s job as Legislative Director involves managing “all aspects of the Governor’s events” and working “with internal State agencies as well as external stakeholders to develop, plan and execute public policy announcements”. While she’s part of the governor’s policy team, she doesn’t write legislation or control what bills get introduced.

Second, Armstrong is part of a seven-member policy team that works to “provide the governor the fullest picture possible on legislation headed to his desk”. Her role is to advise and inform the governor, not to control what he decides.

Joecks essentially blamed Armstrong personally for Democratic bill (AB416) about school policies that she had no role in creating, sponsoring, or voting on. It shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how government works.

Missing the Point on Charter Schools

Most problematic is how Joecks attacked Governor Lombardo for supposedly abandoning his principles on charter schools. Joecks claimed there was a “tone shift” between Lombardo’s statements, suggesting the governor had changed his position.

But when you actually compare what Lombardo said, both statements use identical language.

In his first statement, Lombardo said:

“I will not sign an education budget that does not include equal pay for public charter school teachers and make teacher pay raises, including those for charter school teachers, permanent. Further, I will veto any education budget bill that falls short of addressing a serious need for accountability, transparency, and real parental choice.”

In his second statement after signing the education budget, Lombardo said:

“Nevadans can rest assured that I will continue my efforts, in collaboration with the legislature, to expand accountability, transparency, and real parental choice this session.”

“I’d love to be wrong here.”
Well, congrats @VictorJoecks, you are.

I used the red pen tool to show you where @JoeLombardoNV literally says that he will continue efforts this session to expand “accountability, transparency, and real parental choice this session.” pic.twitter.com/XVWt44m70v

— BrutalBrittany (@BrutalBrittany2) May 31, 2025

Lombardo treatened to veto the entire education budget if charter schools don’t get equal treatment. And his strategy worked!

Lombardo successfully got separate legislation passed that provided charter school teachers with pay raises. As he stated when signing the education budget:

“Yesterday evening, after the legislature took the final vote to give permanent pay raises to all charter school teachers, I signed the education budget. I’m proud to say that, now, all public school teachers will now be on an equal playing field.”

The governor achieved exactly what he demanded equal pay for charter school teachers through separate legislation that passed ahead of the main education budget.

Read our prior coverage: Nevada Delivers: Charter School Teachers Finally Get Fair Pay

Joecks somehow saw a “tone shift” where none existed. Both statements contain identical language supporting the same conservative principles. This isn’t intellectual honesty, it’s manufacturing a controversy where the facts show complete consistency.

Real Accountability vs. Manufactured Outrage

There’s a difference between holding politicians accountable and creating fake controversies. Real accountability means criticizing specific actions and policies based on facts. It means being honest about what officials actually said and did.

What Joecks is doing is the opposite. He’s attacking people for accurately explaining government processes. He’s going after staff members who don’t have policymaking authority. He’s mischaracterizing clear statements from elected officials.

The fight for school choice in Nevada matters too much to be undermined by unfair attacks and dishonest commentary.  Nevada’s families deserve honest commentary about their government, not personal attacks on public servants who are just trying to do their jobs.

This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.