Columnist Jeff German: Investigator’s suit against Del Papa stalled in District Court

Tuesday, May 12, 1998 | 10:23 a.m.

JUSTICE IS MOVING at a slow pace for Mike Anzalone.

His lawsuit against his former boss, Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, has been stalled with word that District Judge Nancy Becker has taken herself off the case.

Becker removed herself last week on the very day she reportedly was supposed to decide whether to allow the suit to go forward.

Anzalone, a former investigator for Del Papa, sued the attorney general in February, alleging he was forced to resign because he wouldn't pursue an intelligence probe of Gaming Control Board Chairman Bill Bible.

Del Papa has denied pursuing an intelligence investigation of Bible and indicated Anzalone was asked to leave for other reasons.

But in his latest court papers, Anzalone says the famous Harris videotapes leave little doubt that Del Papa indeed did conduct an intelligence probe of Bible and others on the Control Board.

Harris, a former Control Board electronics expert, leveled sensational allegations on the tapes about Nevada's regulatory process.

The tapes were made after Harris agreed to plead guilty to slot cheating and cooperate with the attorney general.

His allegations never were substantiated, but some of the tapes were leaked to ABC News last year at great embarrassment to Bible.

Relations between Bible and Del Papa took a giant nosedive after excerpts were aired on national television.

Becker, meanwhile, removed herself from Anzalone's case because her sister, Patty Becker, has a social relationship with Control Board member Steve DuCharme, one of Bible's colleagues.

District Judge Sally Loehrer now has been assigned the suit.

At the courthouse, there's talk that Loehrer is close to Del Papa.

Does that mean Loehrer may have to disqualify herself from the case, too? Stay tuned.

A barn-burner is shaping up in the race for Las Vegas constable.

Incumbent Bob Nolen, who has decided against running for re-election, is backing his right hand man, Doug Tharp.

Mike Counterman, a deputy who's on the outs with Nolen, also is in the race. So is malcontent Sid Rudich.

The constable's office has been marred by internal morale problems the past couple of years.

Telephone calls, letters and e-mail have been flowing in since an April 26 column here on low morale at the Facilities Division of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Employees there are said to be concerned about retaliation for speaking out.

Elsewhere, similar morale problems have been raised at other public agencies.

All reportedly is not well among employees at the state Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement Section, state Taxicab Authority, the Clark County Sanitation District and University Medical Center.

At the LVCVA, meanwhile, tension continues to mount.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is discounting reports in Washington that House leaders are writing off the seat being vacated by Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev.

Last Tuesday's column drew a response from Ed Brookover, the Republican Congressional Committee's political director on Capitol Hill.

Brookover says House Republicans "plan to fight to the very end to retain this seat."

Democrat Shelley Berkley, who has raised nearly $500,000, is being called the front-runner.

The district was regarded as a Democratic stronghold until Ensign arrived on the scene.

Ensign now is challenging Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., this year.

Nevada lost a fine public servant over the weekend.

Deputy Attorney Gordy Fink was one of the real nice guys in state government.

His untimely death Sunday has shocked his friends and co-workers.

The well-liked Fink, 44, wore several hats with distinction in the attorney general's office.

He was a trusted political advisor to Frankie Sue Del Papa, a senior member of the attorney general's gaming division and a legal adviser to the Nevada Athletic Commission.

He'll be missed.