Ex-employee files complaint against constable

Friday, July 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

A complaint has been filed with the state Ethics Commission against Las Vegas Constable Bob Nolen for allegedly using office time and resources to work on political campaigns.

Dave Burress, a deputy constable fired by Nolen last month, filed the complaint, which also accuses Nolen of mistreating employees, falsifying office records and visiting local taverns during office hours.

Nolen, running for re-election, questioned the credibility of the allegations Thursday.

"All of this is from a disgruntled ex-employee," Nolen said. "Let him do whatever he's going to do. None of this is unanticipated."

Nolen declined to respond to the specific accusations leveled by Burress, who contends he was let go by Nolen because of his role as president of the Las Vegas Constables Association, a small union formed to improve office conditions.

"If Mr. Burress has filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission, I believe it would be wrong for me to address any of the issues in the media," Nolen said. "I believe the proper place is to do it before the Ethics Commission."

The commission Thursday sent Nolen a letter informing him that the complaint was lodged. The panel now must decide whether it has jurisdiction to investigate the allegations.

In an April 4 SUN story, Nolen acknowledged that he frequently has worked on political campaigns on constable time.

He confirmed that he had helped Sheriff Ralph Lamb in 1994 and City Councilman Gary Reese last year.

Burress charged in his complaint that Nolen has been doing the same thing during his own re-election bid.

Though Nolen insisted in April there was no law requiring him to keep regular office hours, Assistant County Manager Dale Askew suggested Nolen was violating the spirit of county's policy barring public employees from participating in political races on county time.

The constable's office, which oversees evictions and serves legal papers for the courts, is funded in part by the county. But because the position is elected, the county manager has no authority to take action against Nolen.

In his complaint, Burress quoted Nolen as once saying, "I can do whatever I want to do. I have no one to answer to."

Burress charged that Nolen has used county stationery, postage, copy machines, fax lines and telephones to further his political activities.

He also has ordered office workers and deputies to run political errands for him and paid them mileage with office funds for their efforts, Burress alleged.

And Burress accused Nolen of "intimidating" deputies into supporting candidates he backs, a charge Nolen previously has denied.

Nolen, a former city councilman with strong political connections, is facing opposition from 10 challengers, including two who used to work for him, ex-deputy Leonard Griffin and Faye Duncan Daniel, Nolen's former office manager.

In April, a majority of Nolen's deputies and office workers complained in interviews with the SUN that Nolen was being "abusive" toward them and rarely spent more than two hours a day in the office.

Nolen attributed the uprising to campaign rhetoric and insisted he has been running the office in a proper and efficient manner.