Pearson takes a video hit

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 11:15 a.m.

First published Aug. 21, 1992.

Supporters of Clark County Commission candidate Yvonne Atkinson Gates are alleging election irregularities in her bid to unseat District D incumbent William Pearson.

The Culinary Union, which is endorsing Gates, held a news conference Thursday to show a videotape recorded Tuesday of a man identified as "James" picking up three absentee ballots from the home of Culinary member Nellie Jackson.

Absentee ballots should be mailed, not given to anyone, said Culinary Union attorney Richard McCracken. The union is promoting the use of absentee ballots to draw more voters into the process, he said.

"James" came to Jackson's door on Monday and asked if she had voted for Pearson, Jackson said. After he left, she called the union.

He returned Tuesday and asked again if she had voted for Pearson, she said.

"I told him, 'I did what I had to do,"' Jackson said.

Culinary member Reggie Turner was in Jackson's home on Tuesday and videotaped the ballot pickup. The tape captured the license plate on the car driven by "James."

Turner said the car was registered to James Chaney Sr. and James Chaney Jr. The union alleges that the Chaneys who have figured in previous election controversies - are connected to the Pearson campaign.

Turner said an unidentified woman in the car was holding a stack of absentee ballots several inches thick.

McCracken said the union has no direct evidence linking Pearson's campaign to the missing ballots.

"The crime is committed by the persons who received them, he said.

Registrar of Voters Deborah West said a voter may cast an absentee ballot by mail or in person at the Election Department. She said it is a gross misdemeanor for anyone other than an election board officer to handle a ballot.

After viewing the tape, Pearson campaign manager Autumn Keyes said there was no indication of where the car was parked and "James" did not look like Chaney.

Political consultant Don Williams, who is helping Pearson's campaign, took a stronger approach.

"This is a pure Culinary Mafia-associated setup, Williams charged.

Meanwhile, the Pearson camp unleashed charges of its own Thursday, these claiming irregularities within the Clark County Election Department.

Williams charged the the Election Department broke the law by selling lists of voters planning to cast absentee ballots.

"It's not a criminal offense here," West said. "We did sell a couple of lists. I was not aware of it. When -I did find out, I consulted the district attorney's office.

"To meet the spirit of the law, we thought it best not to continue selling the lists."

Williams charged that the Culinary Union has obtained the list while Pearson's camp was denied a copy Thursday.

But West said the list had not been sold to the Culinary Union or the Gates campaign.

Williams said the Sept. 1 primary will be challenged if Pearson loses.

"This election will definitely be challenged in federal court," he said.

"We believe it's a cover-up for the crime of selling the names and we believe they went to the Culinary, " Williams said.