Former tourism agency chief pays for TV to clear name

Saturday, Jan. 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Jay Milligan has mailed a check to American Video Communications, which was paid more than $4 million for its work on behalf of Milligan's agency at Reno's National Bowling Stadium.

Milligan said he received the 40-inch TV set as payment for doing some consulting work for the company while head of the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority.

"(Everything with the company) was done aboveboard, but my good name is certainly worth more than that question" about a conflict of interest, he said.

Milligan, who resigned as president-CEO in August after his agency was harshly criticized by outside consultants, said he mailed a check for $2,799 to the company last week.

"I don't think that it did or does (pose a conflict)," he said, adding three other RSCVA department heads have been paid for consulting work while employed with the agency. He declined to elaborate.

Reno Mayor Jeff Griffin, a member of RSCVA's board of directors, questioned Milligan's acceptance of the TV and pressed him to pay for it.

He said he was pleased with Milligan's response and doesn't believe Milligan knowingly violated any policies. The perception of a conflict of interest concerns him, however.

"I'm very sensitive as a public person now and ... I think it's a conflict for public employees of any kind doing work for companies we may be doing business with," Griffin said.

Milligan said he did the work for the company in 1995 after it developed and installed the bowling stadium's sophisticated scoreboard. He said he got the TV as payment after the stadium opened.

Asked whether he worked on RSCVA time, he replied, "Goodness no, it was on the weekends."

State ethics officials said it's hard to define a conflict of interest and each case needs to be examined separately.

Madelyn Shipman, assistant Washoe County district attorney, said she was unsure whether a conflict existed, but "from an appearance standpoint, it's awful."

Milligan, whose resignation from his $129,000-a-year job took effect Dec. 31, will continue to be paid through August until his unused sick and vacation time is exhausted.