Malone denies being puppet of gaming boss

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Oct. 29, 1998 | 11:34 a.m.

Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone would like everyone to take a close look at him. Poke him. Search for strings. Look for a puppeteer.

During this Sheldon Adelson-choreographed show formally known as the campaign season, Malone, even though he is not a candidate, has taken his shots from constituents and even fellow commissioners.

"I do feel somewhat disappointed that I have to hear that Adelson has one puppet on the commission already," Malone said. "Does my record indicate I'm a puppet? It does not. It is no different than anyone else receiving contributions."

Las Vegas Sands Inc. chairman Adelson has unloaded more than $2 million in an attempt to unseat Democratic incumbents Myrna Williams and Erin Kenny. He has also targeted a third Democrat, Dario Herrera.

His commercials and mailers have been criticized by Gov. Bob Miller and countered by ads from the union-backed Committee for Common Decency, both of whom claim Adelson is trying to buy the County Commission.

But what bothers Malone most is when people say Adelson already has one puppet on the commission; he poured nearly $100,000 into the former Metro traffic officer's 1997 campaign.

"When I look at the different issues that come before us, I study them, research them and ask questions," Malone said. "I make decisions that are best for my constituents. If it doesn't affect them, I look at consistency, what we've done in the past."

Voting records obtained from Clark County show that since February 1997, nine votes related to Adelson, the Las Vegas Sands Inc. or the Venetian hotel-casino have been unanimously in favor of the casino executive's requests.

But the one vote that everyone talks about is one that was not unanimous. Malone and three other commissioners voted in favor of Adelson in September 1997 when he sought permission to begin building the 6,000-room Venetian even though traffic-mitigation plans -- part of a predevelopment agreement -- hadn't been met. The vote allowed Adelson to begin work immediately, although he is still required to complete the traffic plans before opening the hotel.

Malone justified his vote, saying that the County Commission routinely amends predevelopment agreements, allowing projects to get started before all requirements are met.

"I thought that it was only fair to do what we've done with every other hotel owner," Malone said. "I have never received any calls from anyone in regards to the Venetian asking them to support any of their projects. I don't allow people to lobby me."

Malone emphasized that plenty of candidates receive significant amounts of money from hotel-casinos or other businesses. He complained that no one is accused of being a puppet unless they are funded by Adelson.

This year, Adelson contributed $120,000 to Republican Mark Smith, Williams' opponent, and about $190,000 into the fund of Kenny's opponent, Steve Harney. What Adelson has done differently in this campaign, however, is spend millions on commercials that blast the incumbents.