Videos released in Cox case; Footage allegedly shows councilwoman recording behind curtain

Newly released video from the case against Henderson City Councilwoman Carrie Cox shows over eight minutes of what appears to be a black curtain and a floor. Its audio consists of conversation in the background, much of it barely audible, amid a buzz of people.

The footage, according to authorities, is the video Cox captured from her phone when they say she secretly recorded fellow Councilwoman Monica Larson at City Hall on Jan. 9 at a retirement party for Henderson’s outgoing city manager.

Cox, who was first elected to Henderson City Council in 2022 and is up for re-election next year, was indicted Nov. 4 on one count of monitoring or attempting to monitor a private conversation. Nevada law makes it a felony to intrude on the privacy of others by “surreptitiously” monitoring or trying to monitor private conversations.

The video, part of the exhibits shown to the grand jury that voted to indict Cox, was one of four videos — the other videos consisted of surveillance footage from City Hall — released to the Las Vegas Review-Journal by the District Court on Friday.

They follow the release of a 54-page transcript earlier in the week that contains testimony from several witnesses including Larson, who said Cox recorded a conversation she was having with real estate broker Michael Hiltz and land developer Richard Smith, both of whom also testified.

Each said Cox emerged from a nearby black curtain and revealed to them that she had been recording, the grand jury transcript said.

Jackie Orton McCrary, a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Integrity Squad, which investigates allegations involving public officials, testified before the grand jury that the video that appears to have been shot from behind the black curtain was obtained from Cox’s iCloud data, according to the transcript.

On Nov. 5, Cox told the Review-Journal that she was surprised by the charge and said the case was a “witch hunt” against her. In a previous statement, Cox’s attorney, Josh Tomsheck, said Cox was confident she will be exonerated.

“There is much more that will come to light throughout this process and Mrs. Cox very much looks forward to addressing these allegations through the appropriate channels in Court,” Tomsheck said in a Nov.5 text message.

At the hearing earlier in the month, Chief District Judge Jerry Wiese granted an order barring Cox from contacting Larson except during City Council meetings.

Cox and Larson did not respond after being contacted by the Review-Journal for comment Friday evening. Cox is due in court next on Thursday, records show.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.