Creating a False Impression in Sparks Ward 5
It’s not stolen valor, not exactly, but there is still something uncomfortable and objectionable about Kristopher Dahir using his position as a board member of Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza to boost his re-election campaign to the Sparks City Council.
The worthiness of the NVMP, recognizing Nevada veterans who have bravely served their country, is beyond question. But Councilman Dahir harnessing that brave service for cynical political purposes? That should be questioned — loudly and continually.
The Councilman takes every opportunity the lackadaisical local media afford him to mention his campaign and the NVMP in the same sentence. Why is the rest of the board allowing him to be the face of the organization, its chief spokesperson, while he is running for office? The NVMP, like the military itself, should be above politics.
What’s more, Dahir has never served in the military. Should that disqualify him from working with the NVMP? Of course, not — more people should do more to help veterans. But by making the NVMP a campaign tool, Dahir creates the impression among many folks that he is a veteran.
And it’s an impression the Councilman does nothing to correct. In fact, he’s happy for voters to make that mistake. Several parties contacted by Picon, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, said they also had no idea the Councilman was not a veteran. They assumed he was.
Like we said, that’s not stolen valor, but Dahir should still be guilt ridded for using NVMP as an election tool.
And then there is the campaign commercial in disguise
Perhaps not surprising, the Councilman has been committing other questionable campaign antics.
In January 2023, Dahir underwent successful surgery for a brain tumor. He and his family showed admirable courage in the face of a life-threatening illness, and it’s legitimate for Dahir to discuss this personal experience on the campaign trail.
What is not legitimate is the Councilman’s failure to list the “Kristopher’s Story” video about his surgery as an in-kind contribution on his campaign contribution and expense report, as required by law because Sierra Neurosurgery Group, where Dahir received treatment, paid to produce the video.
In “Kristopher’s Story,” Dahir, wearing his City of Sparks lapel pin, discusses his illness in relation to his work as a Sparks Councilmember and his bid for re-election. What is ostensibly a video about personal resilience is also a thinly disguised campaign ad funded by an outside party.
Besides paying to create the video, Sierra Neurosurgery purchased airtime so it could run as a commercial on local TV stations. The video has also been posted on the medical group’s website and on social media.
The question is: Why now? Why go into wide release with a video and commercial about a surgery that happened 18 months ago? The answer is obvious: To help Dahir win re-election while seeming only to tell a feel-good story.
Tell your personal story all you wish, Councilman. But when you tell that story in the context of your campaign—and someone else pays for the story and its telling — you have an obligation to disclose that connection. It’s not nuance. It’s not a judgment call. It’s the law.