Colorful race emerges in Senate District 9

CARSON CITY - One candidate stands accused of misdeeds involving the sale of ostrich eggs. His rival, meanwhile, has been called a "party girl" by her detractors.

In this manner, the GOP primary race in Senate District 9 between Brent Jones and Mari Yakashima St. Martin has emerged as perhaps the most colorful thus far this election season.

Jones, 48, president of drinking water company Real Water and a former California lawyer, filed a lawsuit in Clark County District Court this week alleging he had been slandered by St. Martin and her campaign. He alleges they lied to voters that he was jailed for fraud and that he bilked a mentally challenged man in the sale of ostrich eggs.

St. Martin, 27, a former spokeswoman for the state Republican Party, denies the charge. She asserts calls from her campaign to voters don't even mention Jones.

"The lawsuit isn't going to go anywhere, but it is going to be a headache, and I'll have to invest money fighting it," she said.

Jones and St. Martin are competing for the last two years of the unfinished term held by Sen. Elizabeth Halseth, who resigned in February. Justin Jones and Frederick Conquest are running in the Democratic primary.

The lawsuit alleges that Friends of St. Martin campaign workers told a voter that Jones "defrauded a mentally handicapped person" and had been "incarcerated due to fraud," though they knew the allegations were false.

'POKED A COP'

The St. Martin campaign has circulated copies of a 12-year-old article in the now defunct New Times Los Angeles newspaper about a Raul Lopez who allegedly paid Jones $30,000 for two ostrich eggs.

The story briefly mentions Jones but is mostly a story about Lopez's attempts to recover millions of dollars from the Church of Scientology.

Court records show Lopez spent $27,000 for part of Jones' ostrich-raising business, but the business went sour, and he was given back $20,000 as a settlement.

Jones, however, said he "paid nothing" in the dispute, and that if he loses the election, he will try to collect at least $10,000 in damages from St. Martin.

Jones swears he was not jailed over the ostrich- egg affair, but admits he was thrown in jail on misdemeanor charges one night decades ago. Police were called to a party he threw to celebrate his graduation from law school. He said he "poked a cop."

Jones also said St. Martin has been attacking his Scientology religion, but he makes no mention of this in his lawsuit.

'PARTY GIRL'

The attacks haven't been one-sided.

Washington state-based Republicans United has launched a website that shows pictures of St. Martin holding what appear to be cocktails. The website calls her a "party girl" and says her experience is limited to "her propensity to party hearty."

Jones said that he knows nothing about the group Republicans United but that if there is "anything false or untrue," he would "rebuke" the group.

"I have seen numerous pictures of Mari with alcohol in her hands, but I have not been at a party with her," Jones said.

St. Martin, who said she is a social drinker, responded, "Every once in a while I have a glass of wine, but I have never been arrested for anything."

The website also features a provocative photo of former Sen. Halseth, who stepped down after a messy divorce, and suggests voters should be weary of selecting another inexperienced candidate.

Because of questions over Republicans United expenditures, Secretary of State Ross Miller said he would be filing an "enforcement letter" with the group that explains Nevada procedures for PACs and fines they potentially face for missing required deadlines.

PACS AND ENDORSEMENTS

St. Martin has the endorsement of the Senate Republican Caucus headed by Sen. Michael Roberson.

She also has more campaign funds than the previously unknown Jones. In a document filed May 22, she reported raising $114,000, compared with Jones' $33,000.

But on Friday, a complaint filed with the secretary of state by Laurel Fee alleges Roberson and Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno, donated $59,000 to St. Martin through a political action committee not registered with the state.

Fee has been associated with Tea Party Republicans Uniting Nevada Conservatives . Jones has called himself a tea party Republican.

Roberson said he was not required to register his committee, which he said was not a political action committee, with the state. He said both Republican and Democratic leaders routinely send donations to candidates.

For its part, the St. Martin campaign is calling into question an endorsement of Jones by the Conservative Republican Caucus. The mailing address for the caucus is that of an empty, foreclosed home, according to St. Martin. Longtime Republican operative Tony Dane filed the necessary paperwork this week with the secretary of state to establish the group, defunct for years, as a political action committee.

St. Martin said that Dane, who did not return phone calls, works for the Jones campaign.

Contact reporter Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.