Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Judge gets 'nasty' calls over voter sign-ups

Liberal radio host broadcasts office phone number after ruling rejecting reopening registrations

Valerie Adair Judge says individuals can file lawsuits.

The District Court judge who rejected the Democratic Party's request to reopen voter registration was the target of "nasty" phone calls after a national radio host aired her office phone number Tuesday morning.

Judge Valerie Adair's voice mail was full Tuesday morning, and she received 50 additional calls throughout the day, according to District Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer.

Sommermeyer said callers demanded that Adair resign. Although he would not elaborate, Sommermeyer characterized the messages as "nasty."

"Court administration is aware of the calls, and so is security," Sommermeyer said. "We're going to keep watch and make sure nothing happens."

Court administrators have no plans to boost security in Adair's courtroom, Sommermeyer said.

Adair ruled Friday that she would not reopen voter registration to accommodate Democrats whose forms might have been tossed by Voter's Outreach of America, a voter registration organization working for the Republican Party.

Eric Russell, a former member of Voter's Outreach, told KLAS-TV, Channel 8 last week that he witnessed supervisors tearing up Democratic registration forms.

Adair said under Nevada law those who believe they've been wrongfully denied the right to vote can file individual lawsuits against the Clark County registrar asking to be included on the voter rolls.

Democrats angered by her decision questioned the process and Adair's connections to the Republican Party.

Adair's live-in boyfriend, Thomas Lozzi, is a former executive board member for the Clark County Republican Central Committee. Lozzi said his last stint on the committee's 40-member executive board was in 2002.

Channel 8 aired the couple's home address on Monday evening's newscast. Tuesday morning, liberal radio host Al Franken spoke about Adair's decision and publicized her county office phone number.

Sommermeyer said courthouse phones do not have caller identification and there is no way to determine the origin of Tuesday's calls to Adair. However, the county received an e-mail from an Iowa woman calling for Adair's resignation, Sommermeyer said.

Adair ''was getting phone calls from people who heard his show, calling and telling her she needed to resign," said Sommermeyer, who did not hear Franken's show. "The allegations are that they gave out her office number and had given out her home address."

Republican Party officials held a news conference Tuesday denouncing Channel 8's decision to air Adair's home address. Bob Stoldal, vice president of news operations at Channel 8, did not return a phone message left Tuesday.

"Judge Adair is doing an honorable job," said Brian Scroggins, chairman of the Clark County Republican Party. "Her decision was based on the facts."

Scroggins and Kevin Sheridan, a public information officer for the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C. also challenged the account of one Las Vegas man's experience registering to vote.

Dwight Brandon, 44, told Channel 8 and the Las Vegas Sun that he and his parents registered to vote at a Republican Party kiosk in front of Meadows Mall. According to the report, Brandon said his parents registered Republican and were listed on the voter rolls. He said he registered Democrat and did not appear on the rolls.

But on Tuesday, Republicans produced registration forms signed by Brandon's parents, Theodis and Bonnie Brandon. The forms showed the two registered as Democrats and their names appear on voter rolls as Democrats. The younger Brandon's form could not be found, Scroggins said.

"It's a baseless allegation," Scroggins said.

The Republicans again pointed to an excerpt of the Democratic Party's Election Day manual that says, "If no signs of intimidation techniques have emerged yet, launch a 'pre-emptive' strike (particularly well-suited to states in which there techniques have been tried in the past)."

The document also says: "Plan and completely prepare for possible legal action well in advance of election day."

Scroggins blamed the Democratic Party for orchestrating false stories about Republican registration efforts to build a case for a lawsuit should John Kerry lose the Nov. 2 election.

"One has to wonder what their game plan is, and it's laid out right there in their play book," Scroggins said.

Jon Summers, spokesman for the state Democratic Party, did not return a phone message Tuesday.