Demanding Accountability: Titus Confronts Nevada Governor Over Rescinded Boring Company Penalties

Representative Dina Titus, a Democrat from Nevada's First Congressional District, has demanded transparency from Governor Joe Lombardo following the rescission of $425,595 in fines against Elon Musk's Boring Company. In a letter obtained by Fortune, Titus criticized the administration's handling of safety and environmental violations tied to the Boring Company's Vegas Loop project, including incidents where firefighters suffered chemical burns during a training exercise and allegations of wastewater dumping in Las Vegas manholes according to Fortune's reporting.

The Boring Company, which began tunneling in Southern Nevada in 2019, faced three "willful" citations from Nevada OSHA in May 2025 for safety violations. However, these penalties were rescinded the day after Steve Davis, the company's president, contacted a representative from Lombardo's office, according to a Fortune investigation. State officials defended the decision, stating the citations lacked legal validity and denying any political interference. Yet, internal documents revealed discrepancies in the rescission process, including altered public records and a lack of procedural clarity, raising concerns about accountability.

In her letter, Titus requested a public hearing and demanded the release of all documents related to the rescinded fines, including those deleted from public records. She also questioned the identities of officials who initially approved the citations and who ultimately reversed them. "This was all done outside of the official process that allows entities to challenge citations... in a manner that safeguards transparency and accountability," Titus wrote, citing Fortune's reporting.

The Nevada OSHA press release titled "setting the record straight" reiterated its stance that no political influence was involved, but Titus argued the agency's credibility was compromised after two staff members working on the case were disciplined. "If they're willing to dump wastewater in manholes, what other shortcuts are they taking?" she asked in an interview, emphasizing her alarm over the company's practices.

Titus's letter also highlighted broader governance issues, noting that multiple agencies-including Clark County regulators, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and the Governor's Office-have overlapping oversight roles. "There are too many cooks in the kitchen," she said, advocating for centralized responsibility to improve accountability. The congresswoman is considering filing a federal OSHA complaint and called for legislative review of Nevada OSHA's authority according to her office.

Governor Lombardo's office has not publicly responded to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the administration previously told Fortune that no records were altered at its direction and that the "insinuation" of such actions was "incorrect" according to Fortune reporting.