Cell phone use leads to suspension for mayor’s aide Cassidy

Erin Neff

Friday, Aug. 4, 2000 | 11:17 a.m.

Mayoral aide William Cassidy has been suspended without pay for violating policies regarding the use of city-owned cell phones and computers.

The one-month suspension was sparked by reports in the Sun detailing Cassidy's use of his city cell phone while he was on unpaid leave and his failure to reimburse the city for personal calls in a timely manner.

In announcing the suspension Thursday during his weekly press conference, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Cassidy, 50, was suspended for "abusing the cell phone privilege."

"I pride myself for trying to lead by example," Goodman said.

"Mr. Cassidy did not live up to my expectations," he added.

Cassidy had the city's highest cell phone bill -- $1,686 -- for the period from January to July. His phone bill fills 72 legal paper pages and includes numerous personal and long-distance calls.

The city cell phone report shows that 365 employees amassed $61,250 in calls during a six-month period. About one-third of that amount has been repaid by employees to cover personal calls, although many, including Cassidy, did not make restitution until after the Sun's request for records.

After the Sun requested the city's phone records in early July, computer technicians blocked out six of the numbers Cassidy routinely phoned before releasing the data July 28.

Only the last four digits of the number are visible on the report released to the Sun due to "personal safety" issues.

The blocked-out calls raised suspicion about whether Cassidy was phoning anyone related to the Ted Binion murder trial. Cassidy worked for the defense during a leave of absence from his $52,000-a-year city job in April and May.

After the Sun requested the phone data, Cassidy began making payments to cover the expense of his calls. He paid $342 on July 11, $1,000 on July 26 and $1,000 on July 27.

Cassidy showed up for work at City Hall on Thursday before being told about the disciplinary action, which was decided by city managers who held several meetings with Cassidy on Wednesday.

"He has been counseled, and we've talked to him," City Manager Virginia Valentine said.

Goodman said Cassidy turned in his cell phone to him before leaving.

"It's in my desk," Goodman said.

Cassidy could not be reached for comment Thursday and today.

Cassidy and Goodman have been friends for years, meeting when Cassidy performed private investigation work for Goodman's law firm. Goodman, a criminal defense attorney who represented some of the nation's most notorious mobsters before he was elected mayor in 1999, decided he could use Cassidy's talents at City Hall.

A chain-smoking private eye who claims he was once employed by the Central Intelligence Agency, Cassidy often looks more cloak and dagger than mayoral when he arrives for work in his tinted-glass Cadillac wearing dark Ray-Bans and a white suit.

Despite his secretive persona, Cassidy has a strangely public side. He captured headlines throughout the Binion trial, he champions the cause of pigeons tapped for extermination at city buildings and has requested time off work for Buddhist holidays.

Cassidy's name has surfaced in court recently as new defense lawyers for convicted killers Rick Tabish and Sandy Murphy seek a new trial in the Binion case. Defense lawyers allege Cassidy meddled with the original defense case and misled attorneys about his role in the case.

He was paid $217,000 for his work on behalf of the defense while on leave from his city job.

Cassidy has also been accused by prosecution investigator Tom Dillard of threatening to kill him. Dillard was granted a court protective order against Cassidy. Also, sources within the Binion defense team told the Sun that Cassidy threatened to bug the homes of prosecutors and Binion family members. Cassidy denies that allegation.

A judge is scheduled to determine today if there's enough merit to any of the claims against Cassidy to hold a full-blown hearing about his conduct during the trial.

In addition to using his phone during the leave of absence he took in April and May to work on the trial, Cassidy reportedly logged on to city computers and came to City Hall on an irregular basis.

His reported use of city computers during the trial indicates he was either doing city work while on leave, or using the city's computer to do trial work.

City spokeswoman Andrea Reitan said Cassidy would have to have been in City Hall to log onto the computer because he does not have remote access. But security log-ons are only stored between 30 and 45 days before they are purged from the system, and as a result, records from that time no longer exist.

Goodman admitted Cassidy is drawing negative attention to his office, but stopped short of saying he is a liability to his administration.

"I would not have him employed by me if I thought that," Goodman said.

He even said Cassidy could come back to the office after completing his suspension "if he behaves."