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Titus Calls For Gibson To Return Triple Five Money

Date: April 1, 2006
Issues: Campaign Finance


Titus Calls For Gibson To Return Triple Five Money

April 1, 2006

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus today urged Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson to return a $10,000 campaign contribution from Triple Five Nevada Corporation he received before voting to approve a zone change for the company.
Triple Five Nevada Corporation was alleged in federal court on Thursday to have bribed former County Commissioner Erin Kenny.

The Titus campaign also revealed that Gibson received nearly $250,000 in campaign contributions in the last quarter of 2005 from a dozen other developers with projects before the Henderson City Council late last year and early this year, exemplifying "pay to play" in local government.

"Former Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny has testified that she received bribes from Triple Five Nevada Corporation in exchange for favorable treatment on a neighborhood casino proposal," Dina Titus said, referring to Erin Kenny's testimony Thursday in the Galardi corruption case. "To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Mayor Gibson should return the $10,000 he received from Triple Five Nevada in December 2005 before voting in February 2006 to approve a zone change for the company."

Gibson received the Triple Five Nevada campaign contribution on Dec. 1, 2005. He voted on Feb. 21, 2006 in favor of a zone change allowing Triple Five Nevada to develop a mixed-use commercial and residential project on 24 acres at Sunridge Heights Parkway and Pecos Ridge Parkway that will include 475 residential units, according to Henderson City Council minutes.

"Mayor Gibson has refused to endorse my ethics plan that would prohibit local elected officials from accepting campaign contributions from developers while their projects are under consideration and for one year after," Dina Titus said. "Now, we are starting to understand why. The Triple Five Nevada contribution and vote were not an isolated instance of ‘pay to play.' They are part of a pattern.

"Jim Gibson has criticized Congressman Jim Gibbons for accepting $225,000 in contributions from energy interests over a decade, but the mayor accepted more than that in three months from development interests," Dina Titus noted.

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http://www.dinatitus.com/index.php?section=news&id=550

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