Friday, February 13, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

CAMPAIGN INVESTIGATION: Moncrief targeted in probe

City councilwoman served notice of authorities' attempt to indict her

Janet Moncrief City councilwoman to be subject of grand jury proceedings Feb. 24

State authorities informed Las Vegas City Councilwoman Janet Moncrief on Thursday that they will seek to indict her on charges of campaign fraud.

Lt. Matt Alberto of the Nevada Department of Public Safety's Investigation Division confirmed that the freshman councilwoman was served with notice of their intent to indict her later this month.

"We've got several concerns about the filing of her campaign contributions and her expenditures and possible attempts to circumvent the election laws," Alberto said.

Authorities are not targeting any other individuals associated with her successful bid for office last year, an effort that some allege was carried out by using at least $100,000 in unreported campaign donations and expenditures and a slew of anonymous fliers attacking her opponent, incumbent Councilman Michael McDonald.

"Janet Moncrief is the focus of our investigation," Alberto said. "Her campaign had her name on it, and she's ultimately responsible for what happened during the campaign."

Moncrief, who did not return several calls seeking comment, is not required to appear before the grand jury on Feb. 24. But she may attend if she wishes to present evidence in her defense.

She always has maintained that any illegal ploys benefiting her campaign were carried out without her knowledge.

Among those scheduled to appear before the grand jury are former Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Miller, who said he worked as an adviser to the Moncrief campaign, and her campaign strategist, Tony Dane.

"The truth is going to come out, and I think that's going to be a good thing," Dane said Thursday.

Gaming figure Bob Stupak, who has been linked romantically to Moncrief and is alleged to have bankrolled her bid for office, won't be subpoenaed, according to Alberto.

Should officials obtain an indictment against Moncrief, it would be a first for a sitting elected official alleged to have violated state campaign laws. It also would be a new low point in her brief and turbulent tenure in office. Her resignation has been rumored almost since she took office in June, and she has suffered a handful of defeats on issues that affected her Ward 1 constituents.

"She's been out of the news lately, and the word has been that she's applying herself to the job," said Dan Hart, a political consultant. "This will certainly distract her, and she'll ultimately have to make a determination whether the energy she has to expend on her defense distracts from her ability to serve her constituents."

Accusations against Moncrief first were leveled during the campaign by Jim Ferrence of Paladin Advertising, a consultant to McDonald.

In a complaint filed with the secretary of state in April, Ferrence alleged that Moncrief had distributed illegal mailings and concealed campaign expenditures. He also alleged that she conspired with Peter "Chris" Christoff, a primary election foe of Moncrief and McDonald, to disguise her role in financing negative campaign mailers. He estimated that $100,000 had been spent on mailers and had not been accounted for on Moncrief's or Christoff's finance reports.

Stupak, Ferrence said, was the source of the money.

"It's been a long time coming," Ferrence said Thursday. "It was obvious during her campaign she had spent $100,000 she didn't report."

McDonald, who was denied a third term in office when he lost to Moncrief in June, declined to comment Thursday. During the campaign, he said of the allegations, "People have broken laws here."

On June 18, the day Moncrief took her oath of office, Christoff and Miller filed affidavits stating they had lied during the campaign when they said they were not involved in Moncrief's bid for office.

Christoff said he had agreed to be a front for four negative mailers targeting McDonald. Miller said he had worked on one of the hit pieces he said was distributed under a false identity.

"I'm sorry this is happening, very sorry, but it needs to happen," Miller said Thursday. "I unfortunately was duped, and I admit it. I want people to know who they elect and how they get elected."

The state probe into Moncrief's campaign officially began in early August when Secretary of State Dean Heller called for a full investigation.

In October, officials began to subpoena witnesses to testify before a grand jury. In December, a grand jury seeking an indictment heard its first testimony.

Though grand jury proceedings are secret, sources have indicated that many of the allegations already have been reported in the media.

In December, the Review-Journal reported that a team of teenagers who canvassed neighborhoods during Moncrief's campaign were paid more than $30,000 in cash, according to Dane's estimates. Moncrief, however, apparently never reported the payments on finance reports or underreported them by more than $20,000.

In August, the Review-Journal obtained copies of invoices showing that a California political consultant had billed Moncrief and was paid for printing mailers sent out under false identities during her campaign, fliers for which Moncrief had denied responsibility.

Jeff Evans, owner of JC-Evans Communications, based outside Sacramento, Calif., said his business records showed that he billed the councilwoman and was paid for printing fliers made to appear as if they were mailed by McDonald.

Also in August, wrestling promoter and auto shop owner "Buffalo" Jim Barrier filed an affidavit stating that Moncrief failed to report an election night victory party he donated to her campaign. Barrier estimated the value of the June 3 party at Hurricane Harry's at $2,000.