Lieutenant Governor Criticizes Welfare Recipients While Benefiting from Public Funds
Amidst a controversy over welfare benefits, Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony has drawn criticism for his stance on government assistance while personally benefiting from taxpayer-funded resources.
In a recent interview with Fox News on July 16, Anthony expressed his belief in self-reliance, citing his upbringing as a child of immigrants from Cyprus who emphasized hard work without government aid. “You don’t ask them for unemployment checks, you don’t ask them for food stamps,” Anthony remarked. “I am here to support Nevadans in ways that they want support, but I’m not here to carry them. They need to carry themselves.”
Meanwhile, public records reveal that Anthony himself receives substantial financial support from the state. Transparent Nevada, an organization that provides public access to the salaries and pensions of state officials, reports that Anthony collected $210,115 in pension payments from taxpayer funds last year.
Additionally, during his tenure as lieutenant governor starting in 2022, Anthony incurred $3,300 in vehicle expenses over six months, using public funds. According to The Nevada Independent, this sum represents the highest single-year expenditure for such costs since the tracking of these expenses began 15 years ago.
Anthony’s actions have not been without prior scrutiny. Earlier this year, an ethics complaint was filed against him, alleging he allowed public employees to engage in political campaigning for GOP candidates during official work hours—a violation of Nevada law that prohibits government employees from using their positions for political purposes. The complaint came from within his own party.
As Anthony seeks re-election, he faces opposition from state Representative Sandra Jauregui, a Democrat, in his campaign for a second term.
The original report on this issue can be found here, published by American Journal News.
