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Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 | 10:39 a.m.
During a meeting last weekend between representatives of Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak and ex-Henderson Councilwoman Kathleen Vermillion, there were several clear threats to his career, a public relations man boasted of taking out Rory Reid as an example of what he could do and the $3.9 million payoff figure came from – wait for it – tripling what Sisolak has raised for his re-election campaign.
All of that comes from sources who have heard a recording of the meeting, during which Mark Fierro, a PR man hired by her lawyer, drops F-bomb after F-bomb as he talks disparagingly about Vermillion, claims he cost Reid the governorship and took the lead in what was billed as a settlement conference.
It’s no wonder Sisolak referred several times to it being a shakedown, especially after Fierro and the attorney, Robert Martin, showed the video of Vermillion's daughter, acknowledged no criminal activity had taken place and threatened to call a news conference (as they eventually did) simply to hurt his political career.
During the meeting, which did not take place at a lawyer's office (as a settlement conference normally would) but at Fierro's office, Fierro repeatedly boasted of his prowess in campaigns, saying he would likely be solicited to run a race against Sisolak this year but could be taken out of it if Sisolak agreed to pay off Vermillion. He told Sisolak what was on the tape could end his career, just as Fierro had told Reid (he said) that he would end his political life if he didn't settle with the firefighters.
Note of sanity here: Fierro, despite his bloviating, had nothing to do with Reid losing the governor's race, nor did the issue of the firefighters and their county contract play any significant role. But Fierro used it as an example of what he could do to Sisolak if a deal were not made, sources confirmed.
Intermittently during the meeting, Fierro referred to Vermillion (his client!) as crazy and out of control and liable to do anything, and he told Sisolak how bad he would look if they released the video, with Martin saying the commissioner would look like the proverbial dirty old man.
I’m told Sisolak was incredulous when Martin presented the $3.9 million figure, which he said they arrived at by tripling his campaign war chest. (If this makes any sense to anyone, please check yourself into a treatment facility.)
I’m told that Stan Hunterton, Sisolak’s lawyer, raised the analogy of Trevon Cole, whose family recently received a settlement of only $1.7 million after he was killed by Metro Police. But Martin dismissed the analogy, saying Cole (who is dead!) is a nobody but Sisolak is a well-known public figure. Nevertheless, it was clear Hunterton thought Sisolak should not pay.
If this were a settlement conference -- even Martin acknowledges during the conversation that he has never been at a meeting like this one -- it’s unlike any I have ever heard of. It’s no wonder Sisolak considered this a shakedown, and it’s no wonder Metro is investigating it as a potential extortion plot.
SSJ Steve Sisolak Journal writes another story for their friend
During the saga of the extortion attempt against Bill Cosby, by his allegedly illegitimate daughter, meetings of the parties occurred including the extortionist/alleged adult illegitimate daughter, her accomplices, Cosby and his lawyers, and extortion threats occurred in the view of the FBI. The alleged illegitimate daughter and her two accomplices were tried in U.S. District Court, and all 3 were convicted of some sort of Federal extortion conspiracy crime. (Sounds like the Medical Mafia cases, tried and plea bargained despite everything being "kosher" under Nevada law in the minds of the defendants.) Bill Cosby's alleged illegitimate daughter/extortioner did 26 months in a Federal pen. I couldn't figure out what happened to the 2 accomplices who were convicted. One can find these old stories by running internet searches using key words like "Bill Cosby" and "extortion".
More recently, David Letterman was the victim of an extortion attempt by an Emmy award winning CBS TV producer, who was angry that Mr. Letterman allegedly had an affair with the producer's youngish girlfriend BEFORE Mr. Letterman was married. Mr. Letterman cooperated with law enforcement, and the TV producer was convicted by way of plea bargain in New York State criminal court, and just recently got out of jail according to one news story I read. The extortioner and his lawyer put up quite a lot of screeching that it wasn't an extortion, but instead an attempt to sell a screenplay about how Mr. Letterman "treated women on his staff" to Mr. Letterman as the potential producer of a movie about his 'bad self'. Again, these news stories can be found by internet searching "David Letterman" and "extortion".
So I guess these sorts of extortion plots are common against "people with money". Glad I'm just a poor progressive civil libertarian.
Just flip a coin to determine who "is crazy and out of control."
First, Ms.Vermillion gave permission, her consent, to allow Ms.Sisolak to continue relationships with her daughter. She had confidence when she made that decision, and never rescinded it (until it looked like it could be a barginning clip, for some type of gain).
Then we have Ms.Vermillion's PR man, Fierro, who is putting on quite a show, to embed fear and intrepidation into the opposing parties---by any means possible, it appears.
I plead ignorance over the reasons Ms.Vermillion and Ms.Sisolak parted company. But when she gave permission to Sisolak to continue friendships with her child (who is a minor), she implied trust with the most precious being and possession in her life.
And hey, these are all human beings, people, individuals who celebrate victories in life, and also suffer dispare in life. Why sue over parting company if there is NO property or possessions involved?
People will always be either "right or wrong."
Is this a case that is really assigning blame or who is wrong, so one party "feels" vindicated? Was there really some harm done?
Just saying. I can write my own book on this kind of stuff.
Blessings and Peace,
Star
I keep hearing that Bob Seger song 'Shakedown' whenever I read about this now. I think Mr. Fierro is this year's Jeff Gilooly.
Mr. Martin and Mr. Fierro in the conference room with the extortion plot...