Jeff German: Leaked Harter letter shakes up Board of Regents

Tuesday, July 2, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

YET ANOTHER political storm is barreling through the Board of Regents.

The latest rumblings stem from the leaking of a confidential self-evaluation written by UNLV President Carol Harter asking for additional perks.

Harter, whose salary and benefit package now exceeds $200,000 a year, says she wouldn't have been so candid had she known her request would be made public.

Only 12 people had copies of the carefully guarded document: Chancellor Richard Jarvis and the 11 regents.

No one, including Harter, is formally pointing fingers at the culprit who leaked the evaluation. And no action is likely to be taken against anyone.

But that hasn't lessened the outrage that has ensued this week.

Harter says eight regents called her to voice concerns about the way document wound up in the media's hands.

"Obviously, someone can't be trusted," says Chairman Maddy Graves.

By most accounts, the chief suspect is Regent Mark Alden, who has not hidden his dislike for Harter, and according to some, has been on a vendetta against her.

Still, Alden denies giving out the evaluation.

"That's bulls---," he says. "I had nothing to do with it. If anybody on the board accuses me, I'm going to hire an attorney and take them on."

Harter, meanwhile, says she feels embarrassed by the whole thing.

"It plays into question the ability to ever have such documents unless they're held in the strictest confidence," she says.

Harter already has written to one media outlet indicating it misstated what she wrote in the evaluation.

Though some suggest it was implied, she writes that she never really requested a house and a car.

Harter says she recognizes the subject is touchy in the wake of alleged abuses during the tenure of former UNLV President Bob Maxson.

"Indeed, I just went through the headaches of building and moving into a new home," she writes. "I also own a perfectly fine car. I was simply sharing with the regents the difficulty of living alone without assistance usually provided to presidents of major universities."

Harter acknowledges she did request help with routine maintenance of her car.

She adds:

"Ultimately, however, there is a larger issue at stake here. I must say I am appalled that a confidential personnel document -- a private communication from me to the regents and chancellor, which I prepared at their request and in a specified format -- has entered the arena in which it can so easily be misused and misunderstood."

Harter also writes that more time should be spent "questioning the motives" of those who leaked the evaluation than on the victims of such a betrayal of the employer-employee trust.

"Yes, even in the public sector, some things should be sacred," she concludes.

Graves agrees.

He's so upset that he's considering calling a special regents meeting to tighten up the evaluation procedure. Stay tuned.

* Bob Coffin is turning up the heat on Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., who's 15 points ahead in the latest poll.

The Democratic challenger has begun faxing around what he calls his "Ensign Watch."

The first fax takes after Ensign for his ties to the gaming industry.

"PACs give him a lot of money," it says. "But so have gaming interests. That's fine, they should watch out for themselves. But has it occurred to the gaming corporations that with all the money Ensign has received from them, he still can't seem to do anything about the federal gaming study commission pushed by the Christian Coalition and other Newt wannabes?"

Ensign, who comes from a gaming family, isn't alone in his frustrations over the gaming study. Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both D-Nev., have run into similar roadblocks.

Coffin, meanwhile, expects to raise some gaming money of his own tonight.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., a ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, will appear at a $1,000-a-couple fund-raiser for Coffin at Bally's hotel-casino.

Rangel stands to become chairman of the influential panel should the Democrats regain control of the House.

Gaming executives, looking for allies in the gaming study battle, are expected to be on hand.